Blue Hair, Red Jacket
by OneWhoTurns
Summary: Something happened five months ago. When Jonas woke up, his mother was alive and he didn't remember the last year and half. Now, his family has made the move to Camena for his mom to teach. - Since May Alex has been haunted by memories and dreams of things she doesn't understand. (extended summary inside) [rp; Jonas's mom lives AU; TA/Student; memory loss&weird dreams; ft J's mom]
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Something happened May 1st, 2016. When Jonas woke up, his mother was alive and he didn't remember the last year and half. Nearly five months later, his family has made the move to Camena for his mom to teach. His goal is to keep his head down and be good, for his mom's sake. That's made a lot harder when the girl he's never met but somehow recognizes decides to make herself a part of his life.

When Alex's brother died, she lost what small amount of stability she thought she had. Her parents divorced, she became a pariah, and decided it was better to break from the mold her community created for her than to ever live for their approval. But since May she's been haunted by memories and dreams of things she doesn't understand. And now there's the mystery kid sitting in the back of her English class...

* * *

_Notes:_ _Welcome to another Turner/Hammie project! This was actually the first thing we started as soon as we finished So it Goes; imagining an alternate universe (with a slightly longer loop) where, with Jonas as radio holder, he made the choice in his flashbacks that caused his mother to live. _ _There may be some consistencies you notice between our fics (character names, for one, and a few ways of referring to each other). Multiverses are weird, right? ;D _

_Turner wrote for Jonas, Hammie wrote for Alex._

* * *

**ONE**

It had really only been two weeks or so, but it felt longer than that. Alex had walked into seventh period to find her usual English teacher missing, and replaced with another one, who she thought was just a long-term sub before it all sunk in. It wasn't a terrible switch - her old teacher had been kind of an old coot, and he really didn't like the class - but the new one was nice enough. Even though there were some odd things about her. Alex had just kept her head down about the whole thing, really. No reason to get involved. Especially since she needed to, now. After… everything.

She'd been late coming out of her last period thanks to an extra long test she hadn't had the time to study for, and she'd spotted some random guy staring down the local punk like he was about to kill him. Of course Alex had stuck around. Ren went on ahead, and her other friends took the bus, which only gave her the time to watch as Mystery Man absolutely destroyed the asshole. The thing was, she didn't know the reason. Was it a hit? A drug deal gone wrong? Either way, she hadn't told anyone. When there was something exciting going down for once, there wasn't a reason to spoil the fun.

So here she is. Two weeks later, after the boy had shown up at school more and more, and had practically become her teacher's assistant within that short span of time; from when she'd seen him deck a kid, to acting like some perfect apple-polisher. It didn't sit right with her. Then again, when does anything sit right with her anymore.

After shooing Ren off to some vacant table to wait while she checks around the back of the school, there he is again. Carrying a pair of files and minding his own business. Too easy. Alex jogs her way closer, and finally grabs onto the hem of his shirt, an odd kind of crooked grin on her face.

"Alright, Rocky Balboa: what's the catch?"

.

"What the _fff-_" Jonas cuts himself off, because oh right, school property, probably shouldn't be cursing like a sailor. He's been really good about behaving like a somewhat respectable unofficial-TA while hanging around Camena High. Which might possibly be happening more and more. Not that his mom minds it when he offers to help out. It's giving him volunteer hours for whatever future applications he'll make, fits in well with his half-load of courses at the community college, all around gives him positive cred in the new community. Apart from the whole incident of a couple weeks ago. But no one saw that, and the kid has been smart enough to keep his mouth shut so… Things seem to be going okay.

The move to Camena was kind of a big deal, but he'd graduated (after his whole weird is-it-brain-damage situation) with no plans on the horizon, his whole suspension thing in North Valley had already made it a little awkward socially, and his mom was ready to leave the memories of the North Valley Medical Center behind and go back to work. They'd needed 12th grade English teachers at Camena… It had sort of just fallen into place. Besides, once they'd crossed the county line it had felt familiar somehow. He didn't mind it.

What he _did _mind was douchebags who like spouting off shit about stuff they know nothing about, and being really fuckin' rude about his mother. She'd been through enough already, some rich kid student shouldn't get to make fun of her for the one day she couldn't go through the trouble of maintaining the whole illusion. It was the comment about trying to pull off her wig that really flipped the switch for him. And maybe that was why he'd started coming in to help her out every other day or so. To keep an eye on her. To keep an eye on the dick who thought it would be funny to humiliate her in front of her students. Well, it wasn't about to happen on his watch.

But really, most of Jonas's time in the classroom was spent grading multiple choice tests and studying for his own gen ed courses, and just keeping an ear out for trouble. Rarely ever took much notice of the students not on his shit list, to be honest.

But he recognizes her.

"I-" He hesitates for a second, cause he _does _recognize her, but— well, the hair is familiar enough, she's by the windows in one of the end-of-day classes for his mom, but her _face _is familiar, too. His brow furrows. She really _really _looks familiar. It's like a weird déjà vu, and it has him at a loss for words for a second.

.

That crooked kind of grin only grows on her face. Alex does her best not to talk loudly, seeing as there are still a few kids coming out of the building, and lets go of his shirt. That might just be weird. Unless she's trying to interrogate him, which— well, that is kind of what she's doing.

"C'mon, I've seen this play all the time. Drug ring? Underground fight club?" She sounds almost too happy to be doing this. Her eyes hold only mischief as Alex bounces on the balls of her feet and waits for his reply. No matter what he says, she's heard some things, which means she's going to get answers. Half decent answers. "I saw you thwack that kid. Of course I didn't say anything - I'm not trying to get you killed by your evil mob bosses - but something has to be up. I mean seriously."

She gestures toward the cross hanging around his neck, his face, and then the rest of the school. He's been hanging around her English teacher and the school grounds in general ever since that fight. Maybe Mrs. Long is onto him? Or maybe she's in on it? That'd be more interesting. Alex has been itching for a distraction ever since the school year had started, and she may have finally found it, if any of her assumptions are true. Which they usually aren't.

.

At first the best he can do is raise a bewildered brow, but as she goes on his face hardens. Jonas isn't keen on being accused of things he hasn't done. He's even less keen on this girl - this _weirdly familiar _girl - this _weird_, familiar girl - being aware of his little tête-à-tête with Douchface. His expression shutters, annoyed and on edge. Is that some kind of threat?

It's frustrating, cause there's something nagging at him about Miss Blue Curaçao over here, and he wants to pin it down and figure out what it is, but also— well, the kid shut up cause he knew he was in the wrong. But an outsider would still be fully aware that Jonas had thrown the first punch. The only punches that actually mattered, in all honesty. And he isn't underage anymore. Beating up a kid isn't fair game once you're over 18. It's just mean, and could probably be deemed assault. He'd had a close enough call the first time around, he really doesn't want any violence ending up on his permanent record.

So he watches her, and very carefully doesn't move, deciding on his angle here. He could intimidate. She already knows he can follow through. But if she _really _hasn't said anything about it…

Jonas has several inches on her, and lets that add some weight to his look down at her. She's kinda cute, in a '_never gonna happen, she's your mom's student, underage, and also very possibly insane, but hey she's got cool hair_' kind of way. His lips are in a flat line, the words tripping at the tip of his tongue before he decides to just ignore her questions and settles on, "You're in— you're, what, seventh period? Mrs. Long's class, I mean." Something later in the day, cause he's seen her before and he never shows up before lunch, even on days where he doesn't have his own early classes. (And he's made a conscious effort to never have classes before 10am regardless.)

.

"Yup! You're in there sometimes for what, like, uh— a degree in teaching or something? I mean, that's what I can assume, since you end up helping with grading and all that jazz." The topic change doesn't bother her much. Alex can just wring the rest out of him when he actually wants to talk. "Honestly I'm kinda glad Mrs. Long got the job here. She's much better than the grouch of a teacher the seniors used to have. I mean, there were actual horror stories about the guy. Like how he stalks the halls at night and steals test papers!"

She curves her fingers like claws, wiggling them around as she chuckles softly. Seriously though, according to Clarissa (before everything) that guy was a menace of a man. Some old army sergeant or something. Mrs. Long is sometimes a little cheesy, and can go on about some stories in particular, but Alex likes her as a teacher. Which is rare. She hasn't liked someone as a teacher since elementary, and they'd been hard to top. But her train of thought is interrupted with—

"Yo, Alex! Are we gonna get moving soon, or—" Ren pauses in his jog, slows it to speedwalking, and he gets just close enough that she can loop an arm around his shoulders and pinch his cheek. "Ow! Ow ow ow, hey, you know I hate it when you do that! Also, who's the dude?"

"Don't know his name yet. Mystery TA, this is Ren, my best friend since preschool. And a pain in my ass since long before that." There isn't anything but fondness in her voice. Her friend just laughs, knocking her in the side with his elbow. What an odd pair they make.

.

Alex. Okay, so her name is Alex. Does he know any Alexes? Maybe before she dyed her hair? But then how would he know her?

Jonas is racking his brain, staring maybe a little too intensely at her because _what the hell why can't he figure this out_, when Blondie shows up. He looks… less familiar. Not in any of Jonas's mom's classes, at least not the ones he sees, but maybe he's seen him in the hall? He doesn't have that same weird uncanny thing that's going on with Curaçao. _Alex. _

He ignores the new kid, though he'd probably do better not meeting more high schoolers, even if they're only like a year younger than him, and instead shifts the files under one arm as he asks the girl, "Have we met before? Like—" His eyes dart to Blondie - Ren - and he corrects, "Like _met, _met." He's a man of few words, and even fewer in the face of a kid who's clothes scream casual entitlement. She's a little better. Old jacket, beat-up boots.

.

Ren grins, "Wow, what an original pickup line there—"

Alex cuts him off with a swift jab to the back of the head. "Oh shut up! He just thinks something looks familiar, that's all." She has to glance him over once, twice, three times, before something starts feeling off. Familiar, and off. Which means the mystery TA is someone she's seen around before. Maybe when her hair was still brown? Maybe before the whole... incident. For a minute she runs through her head, trying to think, before something clicks.

"Oh, wait, were you at that block party a few weeks back? The one where the grill started flaming and everyone freaked out but it wasn't really a huge problem because one of the kids shut the lid on it and everything was fine?" The one for the new neighbors. Maybe she'd seen him hanging around in the backdrop and just didn't realize until now. Or she's trying to fake herself out of some weird déjà vu so that she won't freak out once she gets home.

.

This time, the look Jonas shoots at the blond is a little more pointed, but he doesn't get a chance to defend himself before she's doing it for him. Still, he's not-quite-but-nearly scowling as she looks him over. And trying not to do the same in turn. Seriously, it's bugging the hell out of him. His fingers twitch but he doesn't reach for his lighter cause that would _definitely _be a no-no on campus (it's bad enough that he's already found a spot to light up behind the facilities shed by the stadium, at least that's only happened twice — one of which was shortly after… extracting an apology, let's say, from Doucheface).

A little bulb winks on at the back of his mind when she mentions the block party, cause he's fairly sure he heard something like that, which means they must live near each other, but he was pretty staunchly against attending it when it had been proposed to him. Not a fan of kids in large numbers, really. Still, it fills in the blanks a little on her. Not nearly enough, though.

Jonas is shaking his head in response when his phone goes off and he quickly looks down, slipping it from his pocket. It's not the newest model by any means, but it does what it needs to do. "Shit." Whoops, language. "Um." He's got all of twenty minutes to make it to his 4:30 class, and he'd wanted to ask the professor for a word about an assignment. "Look it's- uh, nice to meet you, I guess." They're pretty half-assed goodbyes, but he's too aware of the way cops wait at the intersection by the school to catch kids speeding home, and he's gonna need to cover too much space in too little time to get his everyday shit seen to. So it's off to Bily with a million whispered prayers that he can maybe manage to be five minutes early if he floors it in the right spots.

.

Alex opens her mouth to ask him something else - his name, where he lives, anything - but he's already gone. Well, son of a bitch. Looks like she has someone to find.

Ren snorts softly, still rubbing the back of his head where she'd smacked him across it. A deserved hit, really. They'd stab each other with their hands for much worse than accusing someone of dealing out a petty pickup line. There must be something on her face that gives Alex away, because he waves a hand in front of her, frowning slightly.

"Earth to Al-Pal! Yellow?"

"Yeah yeah yeah Ren, I'm listening, what is it?"

"You aren't actually considering talking to him again, right?" The pause in between is enough to make her best friend cringe with shame, and start walking off. "Oh my god, _Alex!_ He's a college student! A college student who is working at our school right now, no less. You, you madwoman, are a heathen and should be punished as such."

She gives him a look of annoyance, and he only shrugs. "Whatever, Reginald, let's just get over to your house so that we can waste the rest of the day doing the stupid things that teenagers do." Which is her code word for _please stop talking about it. _Ren punches her in the arm, she punches back, and they jog off of school grounds to get picked up by one of Ren's parents. The rest of the day passes in a blur of homework, dinner, talking with her mother, and then bed.

.

College classes kind of suck.

Not as much as high school, though. The teachers are easier to talk to, maybe? They seem to care… less. Not in a bad way. Just in a 'we're not training you to answer government-mandated testing' sort of way. It's kinda nice. The social scene is… subpar. He's okay responding to people if they talk to him, not so great at being the first one to make contact, but there are a few people he's swapped numbers with. Community college is definitely not quite the same as what he'd expected from your standard college movies. Maybe cause there isn't really a dorm situation, with almost everyone commuting. His mom has pushed him to try going to some of the social events, though ("Free pizza, Jonas— just go so I don't have to feed you for a night, _please_").

Jonas is studying, spinning a pen between his fingers, staring at a printout of his physics professor's slideshow, trying to focus— but she's in his head. Miss Blue Curaçao. BC. Alex. As he tries to focus, fails miserably, and gradually slips in and out of consciousness, he's pretty sure he remembers her from somewhere. Or maybe he's dreaming. He's pretty sure he's never seen her by firelight. Never seen her jumping rock-to-rock across a river. That just… doesn't make sense.

* * *

_Notes:_

_Okay Turner took all the important things to say right at the beginning, so this is what's happening: It's me! Hammie! I know right? Been a while. Anyways, I'm super excited to be sharing this with y'all again, especially considering all of my work with Turner is hella near and dear to the soft, squishy organ that pumps my blood through my body. Especially considering this is like a huge stress reliever sometimes but shh we don't talk about that. Hope everyone reading enjoys it!_

_Hammie_ _-_

_Welcome to the new project (formerly referred to as mach2)! Admittedly, unlike some of our other projects, this one is a bit looser, in that we have about ten chapters written that are all consecutive, and then we got excited about a concept and skipped forward a bit to hit that, so... I suppose we'll see how it all comes together. If we ever hit the point that we haven't written the bridge between points, I may ask if anyone is interested in getting the disconnected parts or not, but until then just enjoy the ride! ^^ I've been poking around looking at formatting for some things in the next couple chapters, so that should be fun._ _For now; what do you think? Any ideas of things you'd expect from this AU? Or things you're curious about seeing? Any questions you have? I'd love to hear your thoughts in a comment ^^_

_-OWT_


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO**

By the time she wakes up in the morning, Alex has nearly forgotten all about her conversation with the mystery TA, bustling out of the house like always. Despite having to half walk/half run her way there, she manages to breeze past Nona on the way up the stairs, waving just like she always does. Without Clarissa around, she's actually a sweet girl. And, of course, Ren's huge embarrassing crush.

Alex runs herself through her schedule; elective she doesn't care about, math, earth science, French 3, lunch, another elective she doesn't care about, US history 2, and finally English.

The same boy from before is sitting near the back going over papers while Mrs. Long talks, just as cheerful as ever. At least Alex tries to look like she's paying attention before the lecturing portion of the period is over. She scribbles something onto a corner of paper in her notebook, and folds it up, glancing around to make sure no one is watching before tossing it at him.

Ow. Direct hit to the head. She winces, waiting until he looks up to cup a hand to her cheek and mouth '_Sorry!_' at him.

.

There is maybe some small part of Jonas that takes utter delight in glaring down any kid who dares to sit in the one (1) beat-up couch in the corner of his mom's classroom. That is his. He helped move it in before classes started. He's the one who uses it as his personal workspace. Luckily, he usually arrives either once the class is already in session and they've taken their self-assigned seats (his mom, hippie that she is, doesn't do a seating chart, but humans are creatures of habit after all), or he's there before the class comes in and no one bothers moving the papers off the other half of the couch while he's working on them. That back corner of the classroom is basically his to use as office-slash-study-hall (because there's only so much he can do for his mom before he runs out of things to do and resorts to his actual homework). It's a place where no one has the guts to bother him while his mom is teaching.

Except - apparently - Miss BC.

His reaction to the paper football to the head is relatively low-key, which is good 'cause he's not exactly unlikely to curse if something randomly hits him, but the hand raised to his forehead is missed by his mother, who has her back to him as she fills out a venn diagram on the whiteboard. Everyone else seems to be taking vigilant notes.

Except - _apparently _\- Miss BC.

Jonas shoots her a pointed look, rolls his eyes at her apology. When his mom turns back around he's looked away from the girl with the blue hair and is watching his mom carefully to try to keep from drawing her interest as he digs the folded note from where it fell between couch cushions and tries to unfold it as quietly as possible, smoothing it flat.

_Is your name JONAS_

_Y / N_

He raises an eyebrow. Okay, so. Should he feel less weird about his stalkerish impulse to ask about her if she's asking around about him? Nope, probably not, still weird. It's just now they're _both _weird, not just him. Jonas really really doesn't want to, really wants to cluck his tongue and shake his head at the juvenile method of interrogation, but even as he does so he feels his lips lifting at the corners.

None of that.

He clears his throat lightly, tucks the note under some true or false quiz, flattens his face back into scholarly disinterest, and returns to grading. Tries to, anyway.

.

Well, okay, that didn't work. It kind of worked though. He did read it, she could tell that much, but clearly he hasn't responded because there isn't another piece of paper stuck in her ponytail now. Then again, maybe it's because the teacher is paying attention? Or he's just ignoring her, like she thought he was. Time for plan number two, then. Alex tears another little bit of paper, writes out another note, and takes her shot.

Thankfully it lands on the armrest near him, rather than on top of him. Alex grins at the top-notch aim, managing to stifle laughter as she goes back to her own school work. It's something about Shakespeare, annotation and revision, translation? Adaptation? She isn't really sure. At all. But she's getting it done, so no one can fault her for that. And if anyone notices the things, she can just… say she was aiming for the trashcan. She's lazy enough to pass with an excuse like that. Hopefully. Probably.

_It's rude to ignore someone when they want to talk.  
__Then again you met me yesterday, so there's that to, but still.  
__Is your name JONAS or what?_

_Y / N_

_PS: My name is ALEXANDRA_

.

The quizzes are done,and they're set aside in favor of his own class work.

Jonas is ashamed to admit just how many drafts he makes of a return note. All on graph paper, of course, under the guise of working on physics homework, but still. He puts maybe too much thought into it.

He can't just come out and ask _hey why did I dream about you last night_, that feels every possible level of creepy. He's tempted to tease her about passing notes when she should be doing classwork. He's extra tempted to throw the words of her supposed best friend - _wow, what an original pickup line there _\- back in her face. Instead, he taps his pen, writes a few words, crosses them out, glances at his physics textbook to keep up the charade.

Time is ticking. Closer and closer to the bell.

For some reason, Jonas feels… kinda nervous. Like she's gonna corner him if he's not careful, and he's gonna slip up and mention the weird visions, and the way they remind him of his I-can't-believe-it's-not-amnesia from the spring. And that's… well, that's already all kinds of weird. That had been awkward as fuck, having to explain that he didn't remember almost a full school year. That he could barely remember anything after they decided on a third round of treatment. It had come back eventually, but at first… Well, it was kinda scary to be honest. Not remembering. And he'd had weird dreams back then, too.

Jonas's pen stills.

Had she been in those?

Now that he's thinking about it…

Back and forth he doodles lines and spirals as he tries to remember, but all of that is a blur of confusion and shame and anger. First the suspension junior year and then, when he was just about to graduate, a year or so just disappearing from his memory. Took weeks to come back. There was a CAT scan and everything. Scared his parents half to death, thinking he maybe had some kind of tumor messing with his brain. But no, there was nothing that unusual, no cross-wired nerves or anything, just… missing memories. And in the end, they came back. They felt a little… off. But they came back.

It's a good thing he's faking college classwork 'cause if he was looking at his TA work with such a furrowed brow people would probably think (or maybe _realize _is a better word) that he's not fit to assist.

His pen hovers as he looks over doodles of spirals and triangles and arches of hash marks, like an odometer. Like a radio.

Alex. The girl with the scuffed boots and the blue hair and the red jacket. The girl who is far too familiar.

Part of him feels a little guilty for it, but his finger flips through the corners of tests until he finds one with her handwriting. _Not creepy at all, Jonas, least creepy thing you've ever done. _She said Alexandra in her note, but it's Alex on paper. Alex Strickland. Well, that's something at least.

He glances at the note again.

He takes leave of the class early, stuffing his classwork into his backpack, gathering up the papers he's marked for his mom and carrying them to the front. A little square of folded graph paper slips onto Alex's desk as he passes.

_You're not particularly subtle ALEXANDRA & you're gonna get us both in trouble if you keep giggling when you're trying to be sneaky_

_PS: it's also rude to accuse someone of running drugs and/or a fight club, btw_

He's got a name to look into, at least. Even if he feels like a stalker for it. And maybe once he's tried to iron out how he knows her he can risk talking to her again.

.

Holy shit that actually worked. Even if he didn't say his name, she still got a response, which— y'know, better than nothing. Alex has both the contents of the note and her own classwork on her mind by the time the bell rings, and she practically sprints out to go and find Ren, because she can't really believe that actually worked. At all. Her friend nearly gets bowled over walking with Nona on the staircase, as she slides her way in between the two of them, holding out the note with an almost triumphant look on her face.

"Look who got a response from Mystery TA!"

Nona snorts slightly, giggling under her breath.

Alex balks. "What? I didn't expect this to work! Let me live a little, woman."

"Lemme see that-" Ren snatches the thing from her, reads it over once, twice, three times, and then grins. "I cannot believe."

She jumps in, "I know-!"

"I cannot _believe _you actually got a response!"

"I _know!_" Why is she so giddy? She shouldn't be this giddy about getting a note from someone else. Okay. Calm down Alex, take a chill pill and a breather, whatever else you need to do. The three of them walk out of the building side by side, as she scans for the TA, teal blue whipping back and forth against her neck as she at least tries to find him. Of course, no luck. He'd left early. Which means she's just going to walk home, and nothing is going to happen. For now.

.

Jonas's morals have been stuffed straight into the bin, 'cause he's about to google a girl he's barely met so he can cyberstalk her for some memory he feels like he's missing. Not his proudest moment, really.

_Alex Strickland. _

There's nothing coming up right away, but he tags on _Camena _and—

Oh.

_Michael Joseph Strickland, 18, pictured with sister Alexandra, 16; April 2015._

The picture goes along with an obituary, or more like a short piece in the local paper about what a promising talent the guy was. Something about engineering scholarships and football teams, a list of clubs and awards… pretty much a local hero, from the look of things, with more charitable causes than Jonas would expect from a teenager, but apparently that was just who he was. Golden boy.

_A tragic accident. _That's what the article calls it. _A blow to the community. _There was a police investigation, maybe? It's weird, it's like… there's too much of an emphasis that Alex was there. The article feels a little… pointed.

She used to be a brunette. Huh. That's not how he remembers her, though.

Jonas rubs a hand over his eyes, taking a deep breath. He _is _remembering her, though. Or something like it. He knows for sure he's never seen her sad but… that's how he's remembering her. There's an image in his head. A sad smile, and a breeze off the ocean. He's got no clue where it comes from. It makes some weird sense, though, with the drowning thing. Should he be more shocked than he is? Should he be more suspicious than he is?

Checking the extra quaint neighborhood directory reveals that, yep, the Stricklands live in the neighborhood. A couple streets back from his house. Though the listing is for "G" and "A." No "M." No… anybody else.

He draws the line at physically searching out her house. Way too much. Besides, he must drive by it regularly 'cause he thinks he can picture it pretty clearly in his mind's eye.

That night, he dreams of a beach and a fire and the sounds of a radio tuning. It's not a good dream.

* * *

_Notes:_ _Let me know what you think! The notes are a fun thing (there's even more of it next chapter, so... hope you don't mind it xD) so I hope it reads alright._


	3. Chapter 3

**THREE**

Alex wakes up at five in the morning sweating bullets. It's still dark outside. She's been having those dreams again. The ones where nothing makes sense, and people aren't who they're supposed to be, and Michael is always dead. Michael will always be dead. She can't go back to sleep. So she fiddles on her phone, paces her room, tries her best not to go into a panic mode just because no one is around. Readies for school early. By seven sharp she's dressed, quietly eating a bowl of cereal before her mom is even awake. Once the clock hits seven fifteen, Alex heads out the door.

She can take the scenic route today, and so she does. It's only a few fence hops and squeezing through small spaces, dirtying herself up a bit in the process, but she doesn't care. The fresh air helps. Being alone doesn't. But being around people doesn't feel like the best option right now, especially not this early in the morning. When her breath still mists and she has to button up her jacket to keep warm. Upon arriving at Camena High, Alex goes straight for her classroom, keeping her head down as she swerves through people.

As the day goes on, she forgets. Ren and Nona are hanging out more, which is good, because that might give him the chance to make a move. She asks more about the mystery TA. Doesn't get too much. People aren't really willing to divulge information for free, and she didn't pack a lunch today, which meant she pretty much had nothing to give. Other than her actual wallet money, which— No. Just no.

It's weird to see the couch empty. Really, really weird. Even if she'd only really noticed the presence a few weeks ago, it still felt odd without the TA sitting in the back, working on his own plans. So Alex just… takes his seat. It's a couch, and she's had a long day, and no one else is sitting there. Which makes it even easier to focus, ironically. Maybe that's why he sits so far back? It's only speculation. During bouts of notes, she rips a full piece of paper from her notebook, keeping it off to the side on top of her binder and adding to it as she works. At the end of the class, Alex tucks it up into the cushions, careful to hide it so that no one would really look. Other than maybe the TA.

_You'd better have a good reason for being gone today, because I still have questions to ask you._

_And yeah, I know, accusing someone of breaking the law isn't great, but it was to get your attention! Also maybe to keep me from being bored out of my absolute mind, but that isn't really a problem anymore. Either way, mystery TA man, don't fuck up or something on my part._

_PS: I don't giggle. I chortle, like a real woman._

_-Alexandra_

.

Jonas is half relieved and half uneasy to miss a day from CHS. College level English is the bane of his existence, but in all honesty he thinks it might be easier than whatever the kids are doing in the APs at Camena. Still not his favorite thing.

There's a girl though, Katie, and after a few weeks of sitting next to each other bantering back and forth and making small talk about their lives outside of school she actually asked him out. Which was… weird. But kinda nice? Regardless, he said sure why not, and there are real actual Plans in his life now. Weekend plans that aren't just watching football or baseball or killing time and getting lectured by his dad to get out of the house and go explore Camena.

The next day it's back to TA-ing, using his mom's classroom as enforced study hall (a lot more helpful than he'd originally given it credit for, to be honest— as much as he doesn't want to admit it, the ban on cell phones and self-consciousness around using a laptop in class actually do kind of help him get some classwork done), and - apparently - Alex.

He hadn't expected to see her until 7th period, when he usually shows up before or during 5th - and he doesn't. He does, however, hear the crinkling of paper between his seat and the armrest. Not necessarily suspicious on its own, but there's a nagging feeling that he should take a look (or at the very least, trash whatever garbage has been stuffed there), and he finds the note.

_You'd better have a good reason for being gone today, because I still have questions to ask you._

Lips curve into a sardonic smile despite himself, before he wipes the look off his face to check for witnesses. None. He shifts things around, flattens the note out and tucks it between the pages of his Comm 101 book, holding it maybe a little too vertically to help shield his face.

_And yeah, I know, accusing someone of breaking the law isn't great, but it was to get your attention!_

It would probably look a little weird to anyone to see him grinning at a communications textbook.

_Also maybe to keep me from being bored out of my absolute mind, but that isn't really a problem anymore. Either way, mystery TA man, don't fuck up or something on my part._

He really shouldn't be enjoying this as much as he is. He tries to school his face back into something passing for disinterest, but—

_PS: I don't giggle. I chortle, like a real woman._

And Jonas practically snorts, like a real pig. Too quickly he tries to change it to a cough, and ends up actually choking for a moment.

"Jonas?"

He waves off his mom's concerned look, pounding a hand at the base of his throat and reaching for his water bottle because he legitimately nearly died over that. _And now we pretend that never happened… _Still, he's a little red. He can blame it on the whole choking business, though.

It takes him longer than he'd like to admit to finally clear his airway, and he pointedly ignores any looks from the class, the tips of his ears pink and he tries to give off an air of apathy, flipping blindly through his textbook. Great, now Miss BC had nearly killed him. Lovely.

His pen flicks in circles through his fingers, trying to draft a response in his head. Something that is super witty and mysterious - he's mystery TA man now, after all - but it's kinda difficult. It's stupid but… he sort of really wants her to like him. Even if she's maybe kind of insane.

_"So Alex, ever been really sad on a beach?" _Not the best opener here. But that's definitely how he knows her. Or some of how he knows her. There's also maybe something to do with hiking? But like… at night? Or maybe he's crazy. He forgot months of his life, it's fair something else would fill in the gaps. Whoever she is, she's as much of a mystery to him as he apparently is to her.

.

Being late for class wasn't the plan, but hey, that's happening. One of her study labs in Earth Sci had run long, and Alex had said she could finish for the rest of the group, and one thing lead to another… Yeah. She's late. She does her best not to slam into the door when she opens it, kicking it closed behind herself as she dips through a row of desks and over to the couch. She isn't even thinking about it. There's an open spot, the couch had been comfortable last time, and her laptop is on low battery and for some reason the only outlet worth shit in this classroom is right by that couch.

Of course the rest of the class is confused. Of course she doesn't notice where she's sitting until she's plugged in her laptop and started typing to catch up to what she's already missed on the notes. Because of course she doesn't. Maybe it's the fact that Alex just ran across half the school, or that she's in the process of retying her hair up, but spotting the mystery TA nearly startles her out of her skin when she glances over. This wasn't a smart move. Oh God. Great. She gnaws at the inside of her cheek, finishes tying her hair into her signature ponytail, and then does her best to ignore what's happening.

It isn't long before she has a note. Not from the TA, but from one of her classmates, tossed from a nearby seat.

_Al, what the hell are you doing?_

Great question! She doesn't know. Alex starts scribbling back a reply, huffing softly as she digs her knuckles into her temple.

.

She's… on his couch.

Why is she on his couch?

He's watching her silently, with raised brows, half expecting her to start babbling apologies. Or babbling in general. She seems a babbler. The note from her is gone but not forgotten, well hidden in the comm text as he works on 6th period's assignments.

Jonas is all too aware that he's not the only one attentive to Alex's odd seating choice. He turns back to his work (maybe a little stiffly, 'cause she's in his space now and that's a bit much), and thumbs a scrap of loose leaf down to edge out from the bottom of the worksheet of some kid named Dave with absolutely horrible handwriting.

_Subtle, Alexandra._

_Real subtle._

He scrawls it at the bottom like he's making a note on the sheet, shifts his position to further separate their work spaces (because it's not exactly a large couch), tilting the note toward her in the process, and keeps an eye toward the rest of the classroom to watch for witnesses.

.

_I'm sitting on a couch, isn't it obvious? Asserting dominance._

That is such complete and utter bullshit. Alex finishes up on one note, tosses it, and then is instantly face to face with another one. Her face twists in guilt as she gathers up some more of her papers and finally comes to settle on her own side of the couch, one hand typing while the other writes back to the mystery TA on the corner of her notebook. Oh god this is horrible. This was so stupid.

_I'm sorry! I was running on autopilot, and I sat here yesterday, and I was late so I didn't want to make a scene!_

Which she ended up doing anyways. Jesus Christ. From what he can tell, she is actually sorry when she elbows the notebook off of her binder enough for him to see it, still gnawing at the inside of her cheek hard enough to start rubbing it down. She winces slightly when she goes deep enough to actually draw blood, running her tongue along the flesh with an annoyed expression.

Today has been just… great.

Nearly late to school, no lunch, forgot her wallet at home so she couldn't _buy _lunch, nearly forgot she had a speech to do in World History— It's like the universe just doesn't want her having a half-decent time. At this point? She wouldn't be surprised.

.

Jonas hesitates, 'cause he should probably let her do her classwork. It's probably a really really bad idea to keep distracting her. Especially in plain view of everyone else in the class, even if they are all the way at the back. In view of his mom. In view of that girl who is reading a note Alex just passed her and completely fails to hold back a laugh. On the plus side, the attention is on her now, and not them.

"Ooh, some insights on the first reading, Jess? I'd agree that _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, _while definitely absurdist, as labeled, is really quite funny even just superficially."

With the heat off of them, and the girl scrambling to cover her outburst, Jonas frees his physics notebook and scribbles another note.

_Now would that be classified a giggle or a chortle?_

_Cause I might call it more of a bark if I knew wtf it was about._

_?_

He wants to shoot her a look, and manages to do so once attention is back on his mom and her overt enthusiasm for Stoppard's play.

.

Alex glances at it, back to her notes, and then has to do a double take. Okay, that's just rude. Granted, she had suddenly invaded his usual space, which was also rude. But then again, she doesn't really keep score about that anymore. Though she waits a few moments to respond, still wanting to get at least a little bit ahead on her notes before starting a conversation. Again.

She can't really help the fact that she's grinning that crooked grin behind the monitor of her laptop as she writes, sliding it over using her pinky and ring fingers.

_Told her I was asserting dominance._

_Also, that was a snort. Not a bark._

_Learn your women dude, seriously._

A little bit of a joke, a little bit of a jab. Now that people are more focused on both the sudden laughter and the class, they're at least out of the main fire. It's only some of the assholes that might keep questioning her. Alex can most certainly show them where to shove it.

.

Jonas has to hold back a snort of his own at her answer. Right. Dominance, okay. He chews his lip to keep from grinning, but still slips into a smirk. It helps that this is his mom's favorite play ever (and one he doesn't actually mind that much) and she can easily interpret his entertainment as memory of watching the film of it with her quoting over it the whole time. He'll probably feel differently after sitting through multiple periods of teenagers attempting to read Stoppard aloud, but hey, for now it's a good memory.

_Hate to break it to you, but you're definitely not dominating the couch._

_This couch is my bitch._

Shit, he's about to scratch the last line out but she's already seen it. Whoops. And why is he keeping a record of this? He's just providing hard evidence.

.

She has to cover her mouth to avoid laughing too hard, eyes squeezed shut against a closed-mouth grin. Alex tugs her lips underneath her teeth, and does her best to focus while writing back at the same time. It's getting easier as she goes along, since this isn't too terrible and one of the slow readers is up right now. Which means they have more time before she ends up having to read. She keeps one hand in her book, keeping track of pages, just so no one suspects anything.

_Well, that's new._

_I didn't know you had a sense of humor._

_;)_

Eh, fuck it. There's only a little bit of time anyways, and she isn't going to go down without a fight. At least, not right now. Patiently, Alex waits for his reaction, trying and failing to keep hair out of her face as she glances down to figure out where in the page they actually are.

.

_God I'd hope so: with this face, how else will I get by?_

_Any advice from an expert?_

He takes a second to actually change the assignment he's looking at, for appearances' sake, and trashes the page of loose leaf he'd been writing on earlier. He can't exactly pass off the next few lines as a single note, so he drags a finger along the key like he's copying down the points that should've been mentioned, as he writes on the notebook sticking out below.

_She'll pick a faster talker, this play is all about the pacing. But then she sticks to the three (R/G/M) til the Player comes in. You're all clear._

_Gonna watch the movie next week anyway - 1990. Weirdly good._

She'd cover a few scenes today, with discussion, a few more next week, and then a few days watching the film.

_If you'll take the implied nerfing, just say you think you're missing some wordplay and she'll take it from there._

His mom is all about wordplay.

Shit, wait, he probably shouldn't be telling her this. Is this cheating? Shit, is this like… a punishable offense?

_I told you nothing btw._

Like that will cover it.

.

_I cannot believe the TA is helping me figure out patterns so that I can more readily prepare myself for utter defeat._

_Thanks for the help though._

Alex is… kind of impressed, actually. Sure, she knew he wasn't completely on the straight and narrow, but this is white collar crime compared to beating some thug on school grounds. Is that how she equates the hierarchy now? With the mafia? More fun like that, anyways. Also, unfortunately for Alex, she's generally a pretty fast reader. Actual Shakespeare still kind of screws her up, but before all of the problems she'd run into, she'd been a pretty good student. Then she stopped caring.

_How did you figure all that out? Just by sitting here and watching?_

_Because if so, that's kind of impressive._

_Just a little._

"Alex!" her head perks up to attention when she's called, a humming noise in the back of her throat denoting that she'd heard. "Why don't you go ahead and read Guildenstern for us?"

"Oh. Uh. Okay?" At least she'd gotten the line before starting to write again. Otherwise, she would've been screwed. To most of her classmates surprise, she's actually going over the lines in an easier tone than others. Mrs. Long at least seems happy she picked well, winking a bit at Jonas before going back to her board.

Compared to the other students droning, Alex at least wouldn't put you to sleep instantly. "_It must be indicative of something, besides the redistribution of wealth. List of possible explanations,_" She glances over to the TA, and then back to her page. Just a little impressive.

"_One: I'm willing it. Inside where nothing shows, I am the essence of a man spinning double-headed coins, and betting against himself in private atonement for an unremembered past._" Her eyebrows furrow a bit. That's an odd line. It isn't that it's familiar, or the same kind of odd she'd dealt with when meeting mystery TA for the first time, but it feels… keen to her spirit, in a sense.

"_Two: Time has stopped dead, and a single experience of one coin being spun once has repeated ninety times…_" A headache is coming on. Alex quietly prays it's just stress, and not whatever happened during— Well, whatever happened when she went blank. "_On the whole, doubtful._"

.

He really wasn't intending on watching this whole thing play out, but hey… it's a good play. Also it's kind of bugging him 'cause he's dealing with his own _unremembered past _at the moment and it feels a little on the nose. Then again, as his mother would say, that's the beauty of the thing. That is, if she knew what he was going through. Which she does not. Though, to be frank, the wink seems to imply _something _and God he hopes it isn't that she knows what's going on. (Regardless of her apparent approval.)

The reading has moved on, and Jonas's brow is furrowing, for the first time today really hearing as one student reads, "_How long have you suffered from a bad memory?_" And another, "_I can't remember. _" It doesn't go on much longer before his mom is taking a sidebar to explain syllogism, and this is one he's heard before. They used to play a game about it, on long car rides. A lot of play on those shitty rides to Missouri. A is C, B is A, so B is C. That kind of thing. He's weirdly excited to read their assignments after this, it's a good one.

Christ, he's becoming a nerd. Being a TA is making him a nerd.

_I impress, good to know. Not like it's my job to know this shit or anything._

_Or you're just really easily impressed?_

.

It takes her a minute to notice the sliding of the notebook and tune out the rest of the reading in order to glance over at the new note. Her eyes roll a bit, but it seems good natured, as over the course of both her talking and Mrs. Long drawing a complex diagram around a chunk of text, Alex has deflated into the couch and closed her eyes. Mostly from the headache, and partially because she hadn't gotten enough sleep. But she freehands another reply, twiddling her pen between her fingers.

_Ask Ren, if you really wanna know. I'm not that impressive myself._

_I rely on other people to do that for me._

_And my hair._

Her bright caribbean blue hair. It's the first thing that people notice about her now. Not who she is, not what she wears, but the waves that fall from her head. Alex prefers it that way. There had been multiple reasons for doing it, of course. One was because she kept seeing 'Michael's kid sister' in the mirror. Not Alex. Hell, not even Alexandra. Another because she didn't want anyone recognizing her, and she'd figured a new look might do that. But it hadn't, really, seeing as this is a relatively small town and near everyone knows everyone.

After a moment, Alex glances over to the mystery TA, and offers up a sad little smile. It's the exact same one from his dreams.

.

It's incredibly jarring. Just… bizarre. Jonas just stares for a second, 'cause that's just— that's her, except lit by the light filtered through the classroom windows instead of whatever weird fire he's imagined. He's completely out of it for a moment, pupils dilating in sheer focus, matching up the points in the image like he's checking a forgery. Then he frowns, looks away.

It's too weird.

The bell rings, the discussion of syllogism cut short with a disappointed "Shoot," from his mother, the assignment given, and Jonas is already on his feet. He turns like he's going to say something to Alex, but that would kind of ruin the illusion that they weren't just passing notes all period. And now he's up he can't exactly pass another note. Instead, he just hesitates for a second before scooping up the rest of his stuff, taking a moment to sort through the papers and stash the notes, realizing he still has papers to go through before leaving this afternoon. At least with his attention on the paperwork he can avoid acknowledging his awkward stare.

.

Alex is slower in packing her own stuff up, having to deal with a pretty wrecked charger and a finicky zipper. But she's writing on a sticky note pasted to her thigh as she hoists her backpack on, and then dumps the pen into whatever pocket of it is nearest before taking the note off of herself and sticking it to the mystery TA's forehead. It's backwards, but he can figure that out on his own time.

"See you around. Oh, and-" As she's headed out the door, Alex tips her head a bit toward the hall, and it feels like some weird inside joke that isn't much of a funny one. A secret signal. "Thanks for letting me steal your couch."

With that she's gone, blue hair bouncing behind her as she goes chasing after Ren and Nona. After all, they have plans for tomorrow. Local mall, maybe some Chinese, and then whatever they feel like for the rest of the weekend. Which for Alex will probably just be hanging around and binging on both pizza and Netflix shows. Nothing new. Of course Ren will be driving, because she has her license but no car, and Nona has access to cars but no license. The world works in mysterious ways.

.

Jonas snatches the note off his forehead almost as soon as it's on, stuffing it into his pocket. Really? In plain sight she's gonna go sticking notes to his head? Really? She's halfway gone before he manages, "Didn't let you, you just-" His voice falters, 'cause he's not about to raise it. What's the point. The class is dismissed. She's already left. No one really cares.

He moves his bag to an actual desk, fanning out the assignments and separating graded from ungraded as the last stragglers leave. The door is closed to blessed silence from the din of lockers opening and slamming shut in the hallway.

"So…" His mom is wiping down the whiteboard. She wrote the same chunk of text up before each period so she could diagram it live. Talk about loving your work. She shoots him a too-innocent sidelong glance. "Quite the Guildenstern."

"Rosencrantz?"

It's an easy misdirection, one she's well aware of even as she grins. "'_Don't you discriminate at all? _'"

"You know, you've turned me into a nerd."

"I've turned you into a cultured young man," she argues, smiling down at her desk. "And so responsible." She's teasing him now. "And handsome."

"English doesn't make you handsome, that's… racist?"

Hazel eyes dart to him with a grim smile at the false accusation. "Not English. Literature."

"Hate to break it to you; literature doesn't make you handsome either."

"Really? And your neighbor today was…?"

"Not— Well—" He's about to say _it wasn't the literature _that attracted her to him, and make a comment about just being naturally good-looking - 'cause that's just how they banter - but that would imply that Alex was flirting with him. Which she obviously wasn't. "We literally just sat there, seriously." Also not true, but truer at least.

"Hm."

"Mom."

"Hm?" God, she's trying to look innocent. Hard to do with a smirk, but she's trying.

He should say something, tell her to mind her own business, but he's not quite sure what to say. She averts her gaze, but the grin is widening. Time for a Hail Mary. "I have a date tomorrow."

Her painted-on eyebrows raise. "That was… quick."

"There's a girl from my English class, Katie."

Is she disappointed? If she is, it doesn't last long. Makes sense. Probably better to date a fellow college student instead of being the creeper grad.

"Exciting!" She nods to the pages on the desk before him. "Think you can get those done before your class today or should I pack them up and take them home?"

* * *

_Notes:_ _So... the notes. Mistake? Success? Let me know. Also: Jonas's mom! We meet her! What do you think?_  
_-Turner_


	4. Chapter 4

**FOUR**

Ren's horn is blaring outside as Alex struggles with an earring. "We're gonna leave without you, Al! Hurry up!" Ugh, Jesus, if he would just give her a minute…

Once she's reassured her mother that yes, she'll be home by ten and yes, she'll be with Nona and Ren the entire time, she grabs a hold of her sneakers and jacket, racing outside in just a pair of socks. The ride over isn't really anything to brag about; Alex is relegated to the backseat, Nona and Ren are holding hands over the center console, and all three are singing along to pop hits that come on the radio. Even if badly. The only half-decent singer there is Nona, but Nona doesn't let anyone else know that. Her best friend pulls up to a parking spot, shutting down the car and listing off what they need to do.

"First order of business: shopping of any kind. Snacks, toys, clothes, whatever. Second order of business: mess hall!"

Alex rolls her eyes, piping up, "You always want food Ren. This isn't new! We don't need the whole briefing shebang." His face sours in a teasing manner, but he quiets.

Nona drags herself out of the passenger seat first, followed by Alex and Ren, as they travel toward the local Camena mall. Pretty much everyone is here on the weekends, even if it is a bit retro. The shorter girl seems content buying little charms and clothes, while Ren heads straight to his local dealer. Because of course he does, the ratty little addict… But he's her ratty little addict, and she does the same thing sometimes, so. Two can play at that game?

That leaves Alex out on her own. For a while she just runs through different shops, glances over items that she probably can't afford even on her best days, and is generally distracted. Carrying a few bags and fiddling with her phone, she hasn't noticed the people coming toward her, jumping back a bit to avoid them with a flustered apology— And then she spots the mystery man. Who hasn't even bothered to text.

"Okay, this is insane."

.

She'd given him her number.

So. …Okay. Maybe his mom had a point.

Then again, the "_If you tell ANYONE I gave you this I will personally strangle you_" note might hint that it's not Like That.

Either way, it's burning a hole in his metaphorical pocket (because it's already programmed into his phone, even if he hasn't figured out what exactly to send yet) the whole time he's out with Katie. Apparently the mall is the thing to do here. Beats loitering on playgrounds, at least. He pays for her Starbucks, 'cause it's customary (_if unnecessarily expensive_), they walk around chatting. She's cute. Mentions that she grew up in the area, and he isn't surprised.

Everything here is a bit pricey, to be honest. They're mostly window shopping, people watching, sipping away at frappuccinos. He might have attempted lifting something, but he's a bit paranoid here. It's not like North Valley where he knew the ins and outs like the back of his hand and could easily pick up exactly what he needed at exactly the right time. Maybe he'll get there eventually. Maybe he won't. His dad's got a better paying job now, his mom is bringing in a salary instead of racking up medical bills; maybe it won't feel like a necessity. Or maybe he's stopped caring so much about having the things everyone else has.

Katie's leading the way, gesturing toward something at the other end of the mall (something fun, probably, but undoubtedly pricey), when she stumbles, coming up short, and he's got a hand on the small of her back to steady her in an instant.

"Oh." He blinks for a second before the rules of politeness drilled into him by his parents kick in. "Katie, this is Alex, she's-" he falters, unsure how to introduce her. Not exactly a friend, really. "Um, she's one of my mom's students. You know, the kinda-sorta informal TA thing I mentioned before." Shit, is he supposed to go the other way, too? "Alex, this is Katie." She's… a date? Weird way to introduce someone. Plus, with his hand on her back, that part seems obvious. "She goes to my college." Still sounds weird. Still _feels _weird.

"We've met before, actually." Katie is smiling, but it's— not exactly _simpering_. Maybe _pitying. _"I don't know if you remember," she goes on, fingers woven around her sweating cup. "It was at the memorial."

Yikes. That… Well, that's one way to stumble into things.

.

Her head is doing laps around itself to take in the information presented to her, and also to not instantly flip out at the mention of her brother's memorial. Alex doesn't hide it well. She goes from that crooked kind of grin to someone that looks like they've seen a ghost in about two seconds flat. At least she keeps herself together a little bit.

"…Yeah— Right, no, you brought that big bouquet of flowers?" There's only a faded memory in the back of her head about Katie. She does her best not to remember anything about the memorial. Of course it doesn't work, because that will forever be burned into her mind just like— _Okay, haha, slow down Alex. Seriously. _"Can't remember if it was roses or forget-me-nots."

Now she wishes she hadn't gone off on her own from her friends. Not really an option anymore, but this is how she learns things. Trial and error. A whole lot of trial and error. So instead of focusing on the topic of conversation, she does her best to think of what she's learned about the mystery TA— Mr. Long, now. Still doesn't know his first name. But he had at least dropped a bit of crucial information. It's a bit weird to see him out of school, if she's being honest, especially just walking around with someone. It feels… too informal.

.

God, this has gone south very fast. Jonas shoots Katie a surreptitious look that's somewhere between stilted and annoyed - because seriously: weird _weird _way to reintroduce yourself to someone, jumping in to talk about death - and lowers his hand from her back. She's nice enough about it, Katie is, but he's definitely evaluating her judgment.

Her smile is like— it's weird, she's obviously trying to sympathize with Alex's loss, but… Jonas's lips pull for a second. She's not being _fake, _exactly, just… maybe self-congratulatory? Like she knows she's being a good person for showing her concern. It's off-putting.

"Oh gosh, sorry-" Katie has her hand on his shoulder, trying to draw him into a conversation he really doesn't want to have. "You're new to Camena, right? It was-"

Yeah, no, he's not about to put Alex through talking about her dead brother yards from a mall food court. "Yeah we moved from— it's a small town near North Valley. And mom relocated to Camena High." Just spill some more details, why not, just don't get this casual chat on the subject of drowned siblings. "She teaches English, actually. I should probably be better at it than I am."

That seems to work, at least. Katie is smiling at him, nudging him gently. "Oh come on, you're a great tablemate!"

Jonas shoots a quick look at Alex, just to see if she's still in that weird frozen state she'd gone into a second ago, then back to Katie. "The upside of a teacher as a parent, I at least know how to fake engagement — but thanks. Just be glad you don't have to read my essays."

How does she go from cooing sympathy to giggling so quickly? Has she just never lost someone, ever? Fingers curve around his arm, and he's pretty sure she's actually batting her lashes, which— that's a thing? Not just in cartoons? "I will, though," it's a playful smile she's giving him, "when we do peer review."

The subject has been changed. Jonas takes a step away, pulling Katie with him, inclines his head slightly to Alex. He wants to say sorry, that she's stuck being blindsided by reminders of death, but instead he just awkwardly touches her shoulder as they pass. "I'll see you Monday, Alex."

.

Mentions of the move have at least brought her a bit out of the fugue state. Okay, so— Mr. Long (which she's calling him now because it's better than mystery TA man) and his mom had moved from North Valley to here just a few weeks ago. Which means he probably hadn't known about her brother. Which is just… Wow, thanks Katie, for being a mythic bitch. Even if Alex barely remembered her in the first place, she's pretty sure that Katie has always kind of been one. Or just epically clueless.

She jumps when Mr. Long touches her. Because that's that weird déjà vu thing again, and now she smells oak resin and something like oiled machinery, and— Triangles. What is it with triangles? Something, something, on the tip of her tongue…

And now she's doing what she does best: running. Alex passes by Katie and the mystery too-familiar-not-familiar man again, shooting them both a two fingered salute before glancing for exits. There's one right by this consignment store that should lead to the ice cream shop where she's supposed to meet up with Ren and Nona, so she'll shoot for that. One problem: the bench right in the middle of the path.

It's not like she hasn't vaulted something before, it's just usually higher. Thankfully for her face, Alex overestimates her strength, zipping over the back with just a bit of a clip to her boots, and then taking off in a jog.

"Bye, Mr. Long!"

.

"Mr. Long, huh?" Katie raises her eyebrows teasingly.

It's probably a joke about the Mr. part, but the minor insinuation has Jonas's mind flickering briefly to a consideration of if he'd even want to sleep with her. (Probably yes, unfortunately.) Before correcting himself because that's probably not what she meant, he's just— well, maybe it was, she's kinda handsy, who knows.

"It's not—" He's smiling, though, even if there's a little embarrassment turning his ears pink as he half-smirks. "Not like that." He recalls creased paper and smudged pen. _Y / N. _"I don't think she actually knows my name?" Or she does, he's just being purposefully opaque about confirming.

"She's a little crazy." Katie is glancing after Alex's retreating form, and her words are more amused than scathing, obviously directed at the whole 'vaulting a bench in a busy mall' thing.

"Nah." Jonas shakes his head, thumb running along the edge of his phone in his pocket. "Not in class, anyway. Just kinda… bold."

"Really a shame about her brother. Too bad she couldn't stop it, y'know? Michael was pretty amazing."

First off, no he didn't know - or at least, not as far as _she'd _know, if she were paying attention. He weighs his options for a second, the respectful side of him going head to head with his curiosity over Miss BC. Katie seems to make the decision for him, slowing down outside a clothing store.

Jonas slips his phone from his pocket. "You go on, I'll chill out here."

She hesitates. "You don't want to…?" Her head tilts toward the store, blushing. Wait, is this a proposition? Okay, no, he has to be reading something into this. _Mind out of the gutter, thanks. _

He holds up the phone. "Think I missed a couple messages earlier, gonna check in on that."

Katie shrugs, heads inside. Jonas perches against a column outside the store, turning on his screen. No new messages. But he already knew he was lying about that. He unlocks it and the blank message is already waiting for him. From when he'd chickened out earlier. Just not sure what to say.

Which is kinda fucked, 'cause he probably shouldn't say _anything _'cause he shouldn't be texting her to begin with. His neck heats, thinking of the look his mom had shot him. For a teacher she really didn't get the whole teacher/student problem. Not that he's a teacher. He's not technically even an official TA. But still.

He chews at the inside of his lip, glancing up, and gradually follows Katie into the store as he taps out a message.

**Alex Strickland**

_(You know, you should probably get a guy's name before you give him your number.(_

.

Nona and Ren are at the ice cream place before she's halfway around the corner from it. Though it isn't a huge deal, even if they ordered without her, and even if they're doing the stupid thing where they stab each other's guts with their fingers. Tasing or something. So Alex gets her own cone - chocolate peanut butter topped with some caramel - before settling down at their table.

"Hey, look who decided to show." Ren is teasing her, and punches her arm with the most amount of power her can muster, which isn't much. He's kind of a twig. "What took you so long?"

"Oh, I ran into some people."

"Some people?"

"Katie. …Flannigan? Or whatever her name is. Doesn't your sister know her?"

"Probably. Allie knows everyone, though, so I'm not sure it counts."

"Katie's pretty sweet, from what I remember." Nona glances up from her phone to chime in, still holding her spoonful of cookies 'n' cream. "A bit much sometimes, though."

"Yeah, tell me about it. First time I see her in a while, and she goes straight to the memorial."

"Oh, dude," Ren scrunches his face up, head on top of the heels of his hands. "Not cool."

Alex's phone buzzes, and she nearly chokes. An unknown number, but the message itself is more than easy to identify. Nona gently pats her on the back. Sweet girl. Though she doesn't manage to answer right away, instead stalling for time by mentioning the whole thing to her friends (admittedly getting some advice) and then shooting a message back.

.

Jonas is not being a super attentive date. He keeps checking his phone. Katie seems happy that he followed her in, though, even if there's not a single thing in this store that he'll be buying. Mostly girl stuff, with a few guys things that skew more surfer than… whatever Jonas's style is. Reformed delinquent? And all kinds of overpriced novelty items. A bunch of hipster shit.

He glances to his phone.

**Alex Strickland**

_)You never GAVE me your name, remember? If I knew it, I'd be calling you it by now.)_

_(Weren't you the PI investigating the mysterious meeting with Mr Dipshit in the parking lot? Do some digging, Blue Curaçao.(_

Fingers are skimming lazily over acrylic cube containers of useless doodads. Katie's ducked into a changing room to try something on (and no invitation for him, so there's another thing he's read incorrectly). His eyes fall on a bin of handheld pocket radios - pretty useless this day and age. But still.

By the time he's taken up a position waiting outside the changing rooms, he's got one tucked in an inner pocket. Old habits die hard, apparently.

.

**818-5891**

_(Blue Curaçao? Oh c'mon, that's just rude! You know my name.(_

A pause, as she rereads his message and huffs at some of the content.

**818-5891**

_(Also, Ren isn't a dipshit. Sure, he's an entitled rich kid with a bit of a drug problem, but he's alright.(_

Ren, who has been reading over her shoulder, makes a disapproving noise. "I don't have a drug problem!"

"You kind of do, Ren. Why do you think you keep those brownies on you at all times?" Nona takes her side on the issue, a soft kind of smirk on her face. "And don't say 'anxiety,' we've both heard that before."

"So what, both of you are turning against me now? I thought better of you! A curse! A curse upon your family!"

"What, like we won't have a good harvest or something?" Alex snorts softly, tries to avoid dripping ice cream on her hand, and fails. "Hate to break it to you, Christopher Columbus, But my family stopped growing corn decades ago."

.

Jonas cracks a smile for a second before he puts his features back into a more concerned expression. Can't exactly pass for important business if he's grinning at his screen.

**Alex Strickland**

_(Lol, I meant your eyewitness testimony. Blondie seems pretty harmless.(_

He pauses for a second before shooting off another, hiding his smirk.

**Alex Strickland**

_(Also seriously *Alexandra* what are you, some kind of narc?(_

_(This is why I can't tell you my name, you're gonna report me for fraternizing with students and/or providing unfair assistance and aid. So ungrateful. Tut tut, etc.(_

"What do you think?"

The phone goes back in the pocket, and Jonas straightens to look Katie over. She really is cute. Kind of… boring, though. Hot, yeah, but… bland?

.

Alex purses her lips a bit, and Ren is cackling off to the side. Nona nudges him, still reading over her shoulder.

"Don't you both have anything better to do than watch me text Mr. Long?"

Nona's head tips to the side. "His name is Mr. Long?"

"Yeah, he's my teacher's son. Let that slip when he was talking with Katie and me."

"So it _wasn't _just Katie you ran into!" Ren jumps at the chance to prove her wrong. And maybe trying to prove more than just her being wrong. "Were they on a date? Did he start texting you on his _date _? Ooh, Alex, you sly girl!"

She can feel her face heating up. "I don't know! Shut up!"

**818-5891**

_(I mean there isn't much to say about that douche, he's a douche. Pretty simple. Though right now my friends are grilling me about not knowing your name, so hooray for me!(_

Now both of them are laughing. They're dorks, and sometimes they're kind of mean dorks, but they're her dorks. And she's a dork too.

**818-5891**

_(Besides, it's probably Jonas. Just a gut feeling. Nice name, though. Biblical. Means 'Peaceful' or something.(_

_(Suits you.(_

.

This date isn't going to end well. Jonas has already resigned himself to it as he waits for Katie to try on her next round of clothes. It's just not his scene, really. And if he's more interested in texting someone else while they were supposed to be getting to know each other…

His phone buzzes and he pulls it out again, returning to their conversation.

Huh. He's never bothered looking it up before. Hasn't even asked his mom about it. It hasn't come to mind, really.

.

**818-5891**

_)First off, that's conjecture.)_

_)Second: "Suits me?" So what, you and your little high school friends think I'm soft? Don't you kinda already know better?)_

_(Okay I never said you were soft, I said the meaning of the name. Peaceful. Basically, I don't think you actively go looking for a fight, unlike me. I've done that way too much.(_

Alex has finished her ice cream by now, and is walking around with one arm looped over Nona's shoulders, Ren on Nona's other side with their fingers laced together. They're headed to some gaming shop that he'd wanted to check out, mostly because of his having like three consoles, but she doesn't complain because she gets to play on all of them. Perks of being friends with the rich kids.

**818-5891**

_(Fight with peers, fight with my parents… Kind of a hothead sometimes. But hey, haven't died yet!(_

.

Jonas is just staring at his phone, brow furrowed in contemplative silence, when Katie is finally done.

"Something wrong?"

"Hm?" He quickly turns off the screen and tucks it away. "Not quite. Just…" He shrugs it off, shaking his head. "It's fine."

It's very quickly grating on him, her too-kind expression. "If you need to go…"

"Actually, yeah. If you don't mind."

She nods quickly, doe-eyed and insipid. "Of course."

There's a moment of awkward pause and movement as Jonas tries to determine how exactly to say goodbye. After a couple awkward steps around each other, he pecks her on the cheek. "This was nice," he lies. And he kinda feels guilty for it. To be fair, she's not _that _bad.

But, to be fair; he's not _that _guilty.

He ducks into a deserted hall area in an alley between mall wings, pausing by a water fountain to look at his phone again. His fingers tap against one another. A few clicks on the screen and then he deletes it again. Another set, another deletion. It feels like too much information. Like some kind of confession or something. But maybe he's just used to not talking about that sort of thing. It feels like an invasion, even if she's the one offering. _Why are you telling me this? _

**Alex Strickland**

_(Congrats. I too have maintained a solid record of not being dead.(_

He goes digging for his keys, comes up with the lifted radio. He looks at it for a second, getting that tug of déjà vu , then tucks it away again, shooting off another quick text.

**Alex Strickland**

_(Kinda disappointed, tho, could've been a great story if I'd been talking to ghosts.(_

.

Ren and Nona are both busy with their respective interests in games. He's looking at first person shooters, she's got her eye on some dancing rhythm thing. Alex usually goes for horror, but… she doesn't really have the money for that right now. At least, not on her. Her dad had been the one working odd jobs, anyways, and he's gone. So she's left with her doctor-slash-nearly-never-home mom. Not that it's a problem. Alex likes her privacy.

**818-5891**

_(You know, there are stories about talking to ghosts on Edwards Island. Or not really talking, but listening, I guess.( _

Another headache. What is it with her and the headaches? Headaches and odd dreams when she goes to bed. Signal stations and power lines, ladders and the brightening 4am sky.

**818-5891**

_(If you tune into specific frequencies, there are these things people call 'anomalies' where you can hear old messages. I feel like it's an abandoned call signal thing, since that used to house a WWII base, but Ren's really into that kind of thing.(_

And now she's spouting random facts about an island. At least it's a topic of conversation.

**818-5891**

_(Haven't been there since my parents split.(_

.

He's almost back out to Bily when her message comes in— well, one, and then another, and then another. Jonas settles himself in the driver's seat before reading them through. From grinning at their earlier correspondence, now he's frowning. Not angrily, just… perplexed. Frustrated, a bit, and confused. He could've sworn he'd never heard of the place, but just reading the name of it is conjuring sights and sounds and smells into his head.

Another piece of an inexplicable puzzle clicks into place.

First Alex. Now Edwards Island.

Is that where she is? In his…

Jonas groans, rubbing a hand over his face. This is stupid. So incredibly stupid. He's not some kind of prophet. These aren't _visions. _They're weird dreams that are remembered too vividly because… because he had cheese the night he dreamt them or something. That's a thing, right? He still remembers nightmares from elementary school. This is like that. _Only with a girl I'd never met before. And a place I've never been. _The groan is longer the second time around.

He tosses his phone on the passenger seat, along with the little radio, and ignores it for the drive home.

* * *

_Notes:_ _Gotta love some texting. That's the good stuff. ^^ And a little more mystery flavor in there as well. What do you think? Comments, questions, concerns? As always thanks for everyone reading, commenting, etc. =]_ _-OWT_


	5. Chapter 5

**FIVE**

It's not til after dinner (and a brief grilling from his mom and teasing from his dad, because of course his mom blabbed about the date thing) that Jonas swipes back into his messages again.

There's one from Katie, saying she had a good time and she'll see him in class. Maybe they can do it again sometime. But no immediate attempt to set up another date, so that's promising in a roundabout way.

He still hasn't responded to Alex.

And she hasn't sent anything else, either.

The same reply keeps coming to mind, but he doesn't press send. He kills time, finishing schoolwork (or blatantly procrastinating schoolwork, depending on the assignment), fucking around on the internet.

His interest in the Mariners is superficial at best, but he sits through eight innings of the Saturday night game before deciding fuck the Yankees, and retreats back to his room. It's a hell of a lot nicer than North Valley, that's for sure. Still stuck with the old comforter, but that was an investment on its own however many months ago. The mattress came with the house and it's a step up from his old box spring.

It's past 11pm when he finally finds his finger hovering over the send button again. The same thing he's been thinking since she started spilling too much.

.

Not getting a response back had made her more than a bit antsy. Ren and Nona finished up their shopping, she came home, and then proceeded to pass out for a little while. Alex got her weird dreams again. The TA in a classroom she hadn't seen before, with glowing red eyes, and a sickly sweet expression. Waking up on the ferry to Ren talking about some weird poem. Michael, when he was still here.

She shoots upright around ten. Makes herself some instant ramen, settles onto her bed, and tries to ignore the darker parts of her mind. Because of course things start happening later at night, when she's alone. Not when she actually has people around that could probably help. Ugh. Alex is in the middle of watching a MOBA stream when she gets his message.

**Mystery TA Man**

_)Why are you telling me this?) _

It takes her another half hour to actually come up with something. Why _is _she telling him this? He barely even knows her, her family. It's a chance to avoid what happened when the entire town learned about Michael and her trip to the lake.

**Mystery TA Man**

_(To be honest? I don't really know. It's a gut feeling.( _

.

He's already dozing when his phone dings through his headphones, interrupting his preferred listening for the evening and casting light into his dark room. Jonas rolls over, clicks the screen on to read the notification.

He clicks his phone to pause, rolls back over onto his back, muddles her response over in his head. A gut feeling.

It's easier to access those weird almost-memories when he's half-asleep. The clips play on the insides of his eyelids. The crackle off a bonfire. The crunch of stones underfoot in a forest lit by staggered light poles. The hum of an electric fence.

Alex, or the idea of Alex, is woven through all of it and he can't put his finger on _why. _

The screen has already gone back to sleep by the time he's shifted back towards the phone, thinking of replying. A fingertip taps against his case before unlocking the thing. One finger pokes at the screen as he watches with one eye, relying on autocorrect to fix his mistakes.

**Alex Strickland**

_(How do I know you?( _

.

She's gone back to watching the stream, though when her phone buzzes Alex has to lean down to grab it from where it's fallen on the floor. Well, that's a loaded question. The first option that comes to mind is the block party, but that doesn't seem right. He isn't really the type to go to things like that— Is he? Doesn't seem like it, anyways.

Alex gets up, paces. Opens the window. Closes the window. Opens the window again. Finally, after mulling over risks and rewards, she decides to take the stupid option over the smart one. But that isn't really new.

**Mystery TA Man**

_(How do I know YOU?( _

After bundling herself up underneath the covers, she waits, and watches. Since her phone is plugged in, the thing won't die anytime soon. _So let's see what happens. _

.

He's roused from half-sleep, from more half-memories, as his phone buzzes, and he swears he could hear a foghorn right there at the end. When was the last time he heard a foghorn? Or waves? Did he hear waves? Camena's closer to the coast, but still a good 30-45 minute drive to the water.

Distantly, Jonas wonders if he should be writing this stuff down. These weird little flashes. He did something like that during the whole maybe-amnesia bit. The notebook is somewhere in the boxes of files in the basement, probably. They'd thought it had been an aneurysm, maybe. Or a tumor or something. But CAT scans, MRIs all came up clean. And there weren't any real medical side effects. No particular cause for a psychological break, either. He'd just… forgotten. But then they'd started a regular sort of story time thing, coaching him through his own life for the past however many months, and it had sort of… filled in. Eventually.

He blinks in the dark of the room, tilts his head and checks the text.

For whatever reason - probably embarrassment, 'cause what he's about to say is just stupid - his heart is in his throat as he taps out a slow reply.

.

**Mystery TA Man**

_)Dreams?) _

_)Not a pickup line btw) _

_)Doesn't make it less creepy tho) _

_)Look nvm forget I said anything) _

_(No no, it makes sense.( _

_(At least I think it does. I'm not saying it's prophetic or whatever, or magic, but it makes sense.( _

There's a pause where she contemplates her own responses. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe she's about to make one of the biggest mistakes in her life. But what's the worst he can do? Cut off all contact? Get her sent to a psych ward? Hell, Alex had nearly gotten there herself.

It still takes her forever to actually send the damn thing. Her stream is over, and her laptop sits asleep at the foot of her bed, lights under the keyboard still winking at her in the dark. Ever since Michael had died, things seemed off. Different. Maybe not from everyone else's perspective, but she felt it. Even if it's just grief or a mental snap or something. This isn't right. She just can't shake that feeling.

.

He's still trying to process her quick response - a lot faster than the last couple - when the next set comes in.

**Alex Strickland**

_)If you're talking about dreams like about forests and some watchtower or whatever the hell) _

_)I get them too.) _

But that just… That's insane. Not possible. That's some weird Harry Potter shit. Jonas kind of wants to argue that— well, that it's not possible. It makes no sense. And they can't be the same exact dreams, either. _I literally see you in my dreams. Not just an idea of you, I've seen _**_you_**_. Your face. Your hair. _That sad smile. God, can he get any creepier?

He stares at the ceiling again.

Is this like… a past-life thing? He's never believed in reincarnation, he's more of a vague-elsewhere/maybe-heaven-and-hell kinda guy, but he's heard of it, of course. But then she wouldn't look like _her_, right? She'd be someone else. A past life.

There are a lot of thoughts drifting to and fro in his head. He has the sense to share none of them.

**Alex Strickland**

_(Weird( _

It's a lame response. But anything more and he'll come off sounding like a madman.

.

Alex snorts softly. Is that really all he can muster up? Of course it's weird. They know each other, but they don't _know _each other, and that doesn't make any sense. No one else gives her this weird feeling of… something, but she can't even put a finger on what that _something _is. She spends a few minutes typing out messages, deleting them, typing them out again.

_I think it might have something to do with the Island?_

No. That went straight into it, and he might think she's crazy. Hell, he probably already does. Great. Great job. Ugh.

_Do you know anything about Edwards Island?_

Other than everything she's already told him. _Seriously, Alex, just… come up with something that isn't stupid? Or at least something off the topic of whatever this is. _

**Mystery TA Man**

_(Your name is Jonas.( _

_(Isn't it?( _

_)Y) _

Oh, _now _he answers her. Jesus. She rolls her eyes a bit at the screen, and his one letter, but she's been asking him all week. Jonas. His name is Jonas. It feels like she should've known that, but she hadn't.

**Mystery TA Man**

_(Call me Alex. It's what everyone else does, anyways.( _

.

Jonas has a tendency to get… laconic, when he's not sure what to say. He sends back a thumbs up.

It's weird 'cause there's a lot he _can _say, but all of it will sound crazy. And he wants to keep this as measured as possible. Try to at least pretend it's not the most bizarre thing ever. He keeps closing his eyes, thinking maybe he'll fall asleep and things will make sense in the morning.

.

It's nearly one AM. She's stayed up later than this before, especially on Saturday's, but she's not sure how much longer he'll be willing to talk with her. Did he have weekend classes? Were those a thing? Alex sits herself up a bit, putting her computer back into her bag, and starting to head downstairs again. Should she be up right now, no, but she'd be up anyways. Even without talking to Jonas.

.

His phone buzzes again.

**Alex Strickland**

_)Sorry for stealing your couch. I know I already said that, but still.) _

_(Any time( _

Oh wait.

**Alex Strickland**

_(Or not( _

_(I mean it's not like( _

_(Look school is important and stuff so yknow( _

_(You should do it and stuff( _

_(Can't spend all of class writing notes( _

His autocorrect is really doing its job, because his finger is definitely poking at the wrong keys.

**Alex Strickland**

_(And don't want to give anyone the wrong idea yknow( _

.

Alex snorts softly. Pretty sure some of them are already thinking that, but hey, not like she has the power to stop it. Besides, randomly jumping onto the couch had been a rush and a mistake on her part. Which means she's going to stay soundly in her seat for the rest of her classes. Even if she's still probably going to be passing notes. Jonas can try to be a 'good influence,' but she already knows to take at least some of that with a grain of salt.

**Mystery TA Man**

_(Are you falling asleep on me, dude?( _

_(No shame if you are, that's important, but still.( _

She waits, for a while. Ten minutes pass. Twenty. Alex is eating leftover pizza in her room again, fiddling around on some game, when she decides to just shoot another text. If he's ignoring her, then oh well— but she doesn't like being ignored.

**Mystery TA Man Jonas**

_(Jonas.( _

_(Joooooooonaaaaaaaaaaas.( _

_(Hah actually that really rolls of the tongue.( _

_(Seriously though get up if you're asleep.( _

Another fifteen minutes of stalling, rather than half an hour. She's gotten her laptop back out, because there isn't really a reason to sleep anymore, waiting on replies that she probably isn't even going to get back, trying her best not to wink out herself. Alex is getting little flashes of things that make no sense. Firelight, the squeak of sneakers on metal, spray painted caves and odd equipment.

**Mystery TA Man Jonas**

_(Okay if you don't text back within three seconds I'm calling you.( _

_(3( _

_(2( _

_(1…( _

Well. She did warn him.

* * *

_Notes:_ _Man, writing texting is fun. Like it can be so silly, but texts and notes are some of my favorite things to write with these two. Anyway; whaddya think? Drop us a comment ^^_


	6. Chapter 6

**SIX**

He must've dozed off at some point because the chime in his headphones is waking him up, from hazy dreams of a creaking dock and an abandoned building and an old book lit by flickering fluorescent lights. Alex on the beach. Booted feet on the metal grating of some kind of tower. _A watchtower? _Maybe.

It's pitch dark when he opens his eyes blearily, so it's way too early for an alarm to be going off. Also, isn't it Sunday? His hand slips under the pillow to blindly tap at the snooze button before rolling over, one earbud lost in the movement as he lets out a low sigh. Too early. Need sleep. Weird dreams.

.

"Helloooooooooo, sleepyhead." Alex does her best to at least not startle him too bad when he answers. If he was actually asleep, she isn't about to go screaming in his ear at— she turns to check the clock, and whistles in a low tone. Four in the morning. "You stopped answering, I got bored, therefore I gave you a good three seconds of warning before calling. Kinda surprised you picked up, actually."

.

He's too tired to be fully _startled_, but the voice coming through his headphones is still surprising. There's a soft noise of exertion over the line as Jonas rolls back onto one side, untangling the loose earbud from around his neck and slipping it back into his ear. "Alex?" His voice is weighed down with sleep as well as some confusion, a low murmur in the dark in case his parents are still asleep. "Why are…" He's groping for the phone under his pillow, squinting in the light of the screen. He groans. "Jesus fucking Christ, it's 4am," he grumbles, shoving the light away again. "Isn't this, like… I dunno… badgering the witness?" He knows nothing about law. He's heard the term, and liked it, and is vaguely aware that it isn't meant to be used how he's using it. "No wait you're the witness…" he mumbles, turning over again with a hot huff of breath too close to the mic.

.

There's a bit of a scuffle on her end when she pulls the covers up over her legs again, settling after she's piled no less than four pillows underneath her shoulders in order to hold the phone between her neck and collarbone while browsing on her laptop. Again. How many times is she going to do the stupid thing where she puts something away, thinking she'll sleep, and then goes right back to it? Seriously, this has to be a problem or something.

Her voice is too familiar. The little hint of a smile in it, almost melodic, "Welcome back to the land of the living, Jonas. Or I guess, half-living. You've gotta be tired." It's the first time she's said his name out loud.

.

"I feel like you've said that before." The statement, a murmur stumbling over graveled vocal cords, is told to the dark without thought. "'s weird." And why does it remind him of the hospital? It makes literally no sense. That was… two years ago, now? More? Maybe even closer to three, time has been a mess since his mom was admitted. How does that connect to this? Jonas runs an exhausted hand down his face, like it might help wake him up, then promptly pulls the covers over his head.

"Why are you calling at 4am, _Alexandra? _" His tone is somewhere between weary and cross, pointed, with a hefty dose of _don't even _in the mix. No good reason for this. Nope. Sleep is paramount.

.

From the other end of the line, she grins. "I thought I told you to call me Alex. It sounds so stiff when people say my full name." Her laugh is bubbling, despite the annoyed man on the other end of the phone. "_Alexandra _do this, _Alexandra _do that. It's too stuck-up for me."

.

"You said 'everyone else does.' Doesn't mean you like it." He points out, not quite awake enough for it to pass for full-on snarky. The intention is there though.

.

There's another question on her mind; why _had _she called? Sure, it was because he wasn't responding to her messages, but… it doesn't really make sense. There's a pause where Jonas can only hear the soft background noise of some game she's been playing to kill time, and Alex's breathing, little whistling sighs as she considers her options. There's going with the creepy dreams thing, seeing as he was just asleep and might be more willing to talk. Or there's just making up some random excuse about needing to talk. Then the lie will just get bigger. Ugh.

More shuffling, and a thud. "Oh, shoot-" It takes another minute for her to actually get back around to answering. Alex had been so dazed out that she'd lifted her head, and ended up dropping her phone. Because she really couldn't be any more of an idiot than she's already being. "Sorry, dropped you there for a second. Probably 'cause I'm shaking from sleep deprivation. Off topic, anyways; reason I called is because you weren't answering me. Also the dreams."

.

It's probably weird, that he doesn't mind listening to her think. Her presence is almost… comforting? The harsh fuzz of fabric on microphone stops him from drifting off again. Once she's back on the line he hums a vague acceptance of her apology.

Right. Dreams. All of… that. Whatever it is. Whatever it means. "…Think I got your watchtower this time…" It's basically a mumble, like he's talking to himself.

Jonas lets out a long breath. He's silent for a second, but there's a definite intention to say something, he's just not sure what. Is now really the time to be talking about this? Then again, is there a better time? It's not like he'll be that much more coherent any other day.

.

"Oh, hey! Maybe that proves we're not-"

.

"…Get some sleep, Alexandra."

.

"-Wait what?" Alex glances down to her phone like she's talking to the actual person, rather than a piece of metal and plastic and glass she's holding in her hands. He gives her a snippet of something she's seen before, a familiarity that both makes sense and doesn't, then just tells her to go to sleep? Yeah no. "Jonas if you think I'm gonna pass out anytime soon, you are sorely mistaken my friend."

.

He cuts his melodramatic groan short, tapering to a grumble as he remembers there are two other people trying to sleep in his house right now.

.

Instead, she takes to thinking out loud. It's muddied along with video game music and the little clacks of her keyboard and mouse. "Like I was saying… If we're dreaming about the same things, it might prove we're not completely insane for just randomly meeting each other again. I mean, it can't just be coincidence anymore. Watchtower for watchtower, weird ocean for weird ocean— that doesn't just _happen _to people. Right?" Alex leans forward a bit, trying to get out of a trap in game, spam clicking until—

.

"Did _I _mention the ocean thing?" Jonas is rubbing at his eyes again, letting stars fill his vision as he listens to secondhand clicks and—

.

Dead. "Ugh! God, that guy hacks, I'm fucking sure of it. Asshole. The respawn time is shit, too…"

.

He winces at her outburst, clicks down his headphone volume. "Look Alex, if we're talking dreams then we're talking dreams, but I'm not gonna stick around to listen to you fragging some dipshit online. Or getting fragged. Whatever." Probably both, that's kind of how PvP games go. "When the fuck do you sleep, anyway?" he asks irritably. Sundays are generally lax for him, as long as his mom doesn't catch him too awake before church and ropes him into going. It's usually a breakfast-at-11 sort of day, but that's assuming he sleeps til 10. "How are you even alive at school?"

.

Alex winces a bit at him, though she does log off the game. It might be rude. "Yeah, yeah, sorry. Coffee. Just so much coffee, you wouldn't even believe. Ren says I look like a zombie in the mornings. Hell, sometimes I don't even sleep." There's still a fair bit of clunking and scuffling as she moves her computer off of the bed and settles under the covers for good this time, pillows sagging when she plops down onto them.

.

Once the sounds of settling have faded from her end, Jonas clicks back up the volume, rolling onto his stomach with a soft groan and bunching a pillow under his chin. "That's not normal." Then again, he has a feeling Alex isn't particularly keen on normal. Blue hair, vaulting benches, calling up a guy at four in the morning… Normal doesn't really seem her wheelhouse.

.

"I think you mentioned something about a beach? Or a bonfire? It still reminds me of the island, but I'm not entirely sure."

.

"Did I?" He's skeptical. "I dunno. I mean, I feel like it'd be pretty creepy to share." Because it is. Another sigh huffs into his pillow. "But yeah. The beach. The bonfire. The blue hair and all that."

Wait, shit, that was probably too much. He clears his throat and adds, a little louder, "So what's this about an island?" Like she's gonna forget he just casually mentioned dreaming about her. Well, maybe she's distractible enough. He doubts it.

.

Alex, conveniently, forgets he made any mention of blue hair. Even though she's pretty sure all of two people have this particular shade of the color. "Edwards Island. I used to go there a ton as a little kid, but when my parents split up, we never really went back. I think I recognize some of the scenery, but I'm not sure."

There's a lull in her voice for a moment, and she pulls her phone away to yawn, flicking her fingers over the comforter. "And you know the red jacket I'm always wearing? It's not there. Instead it's some, like— some green bomber, or something? I dunno types of fashion or whatever, but it definitely isn't mine." Alex snorts; "And it's way too big on me."

.

There she goes again. Sharing so much personal information. She's like an open book. He goes looking for just a title and she gives him way more than he expected. Jonas can connect the dots well enough, based on the article about her brother's death. That would be the cause of the split, probably. A reason why they wouldn't be hyped for island trips, either. She yawns, and a few seconds later he's caught it, too. "Fuck you, those are contagious," he groans, before seized by another, and the need for a full-body stretch, toes hanging off the edge of the mattress as his joints crack and he lets out a long breath. "Shit."

He rolls back onto his back again. "Does the red one fit that much better?" Fingers are combing through his hair, scratching the back of his head, and the idea is playing at the corners of his mind. But no, it's just a color. A pretty common color, all things considered. The red jacket is the notable one. Just about everyone and their dad has had an army jacket at some point in their lives, right? Just your standard coat. But it does occur to him that they're already into fall and maybe he should break out his own.

.

She lets out a breathy kind of hum, shaking her head before remembering this is a phone conversation. Not a physical one. "Not really. Since Katie started it, I may as well finish; stole it from my brother a good while ago. Before everything happened." Before she let him drown. Before Michael the All Star left their lives forever. But she tries not to focus on that. Instead, Alex just closes her eyes and breathes. That's supposed to be a thing that helps, right? Deep breathing or something.

"That's all there is to it, though. I still get weird flashes or whatever. It's like going into a mini coma, I guess. You don't really know what's going on, but it's still going." God, she's actually tired. Then again, it's creeping up around five, and she hadn't slept last night either.

Her phone is balanced on the side of her head, close to slipping off, but she just tips it back into place every so often. Even if Jonas is starting to hear the exhaustion in her voice. "But I get nightmares more often than I get dreams. Someone always saves me. Doesn't make them any less terrifying."

.

Without the computer games in the background, and the soft sounds of sleepiness invading her side of the call, it's almost like… like a sleepover, kinda? His sleepover experience is limited, but he remembers lying in a sleeping bag on the floor of someone's basement, talking in the dark to a friend splayed across a couch. It's kinda like that. Maybe closer. Like she's in the bed with-

Heat creeps up his neck, and guilt into his stomach, and Jonas tries to ignore the way that train of thought is going.

He swallows hard, refocusing on her words once she's speaking again.

She's sharing _so much. _It feels like he should be saying more. But what is there to say? He's a private person, for the most part. Better at listening that talking, really. "'Saves you?' What do you mean?" He should be telling her more, giving her something like she's offering to him, but he keeps all of that sort of thing pretty close to the chest.

.

"Uh… It follows the same general plot? I think." Alex curls herself into a tight little ball, and then tucks her covers underneath her legs. It's getting colder, and she never really preferred the winter, but she doesn't really complain. "There's something about glowing eyes and triangles, I'm not really myself— It's weird. This is weird. It's staticky and mind-churning or whatever you want to call it."

She's rambling, and tired, maybe a little bit punchy. But she's still talking. "Someone always drags me out of it. A guy, I think, but that's all I can really gather. Then it ends." Alex yawns again. Slipping. She's already half asleep, and slaps herself for a second to just wake up a bit.

.

"Hm." They aren't recent dreams, but he's definitely imagined something with triangles before. Red eyes. Weird mumbling static. …Well shit, maybe he should've been exorcised, not rehabilitated.

"I, uh…" Jonas's voice is hoarse. He takes another breath, holds it for a long moment. She's shared a lot. But if feels like he's about to just drop a bombshell. Then again, can she possibly think he's any crazier? It's not that much weirder than sharing dreams, right?

Okay, yes, it's weirder but… Comm 101: it's the foot-in-the-door thing. She accepted the dreams bit. The whole amnesia thing should be easier. Should be.

"Um. I… Last spring, I kinda… well, I forgot. Like a bunch of stuff. I was having a lot of those dreams, I think, and was missing like… like a lot of memories. Like…" His throat is dry, and he swallows again. "…16, 18 months? Something like that?" She isn't responding, so he just barrels on. "It was sudden, I guess, or that's what they tell me, anyway. Just months of my life missing, and me babbling about— well, triangles were part of it, maybe. I need to find the notebooks." He shifts onto his side again, pulling his feet back under the covers. "Maybe I can do that tomorrow…" The words are mostly muttered to himself.

"Anyway." She still hasn't responded. "They thought it was maybe brain damage, or— or a psychotic break or something, except everything else was fine. Nothing really came along with it, just a lot of confusion and suddenly being even worse in class than I already was." He's maybe being a little harsh on himself. Once his mom's treatment took a turn for the better he'd actually improved immensely at school. Weird how that happens. "I had to do some tutoring and some weird… I dunno, I guess it's like physical therapy, but for your brain? …Just _therapy, _I guess. Cognitive therapy? I think they didn't expect it to work as well as it did. It all came back in a few weeks, really. Maybe a month and a half. I didn't walk with the rest of my class, but I still graduated."

His fingers are playing with the hem of his pillowcase. Silence. "…Alex?" No response. "Um… Are you… alive?"

.

It wasn't that the words themselves put her to sleep as much as his voice. It wasn't boring, but it was a drawl, something soft that made her think of the wind through trees. Jonas doesn't earn a response from her, other than the odd mumble or two in her sleep, voice low and cooing. He can't make out the words. Something something radio, something something Ren, and then Alex goes quiet again.

She'd only caught about half of it before her exhaustion had gotten the better of her. Forgetting things last spring, thinking it was brain damage, but that was it. No connection just yet. Her phone falls back onto the pillows in front her again, and of course she doesn't pick it up, but now Jonas can better hear her. Definitely asleep. Breathing almost too close to the receiver, shifting every so often, but definitely asleep.

.

…Right. Jonas lets out a slow sigh, then murmurs, "…No, I'm not offended that you fell asleep during my very personal story, thanks for asking." But there's a slight smirk on his lips as he shakes his head minutely, pulling his phone from under the pillow. He hesitates for a second. Nope, listening to someone sleep is just a bit too weird, even for him. "…Goodnight, Alex. You absolute lunatic." And he hangs up.

* * *

_Notes: _

_Good news: we've been working on bridging the time between those first several chapters we wrote and the bit that we skipped to, so gradually those pieces are coming together, meaning you all will hopefully have shorter jumps in time (though we do jump a bit, because I personally am of the mindset that if there's something you can't think of to write, write the part you're eager to get to, so there are some interlude-esque montage moments). There are still a few more chapters until we get to that sort of thing, though. _

_My apologies in advance if chapters seem shorter than they should be. Generally our scene beats average about ten pages, so I chop those as chapters even if two could theoretically get mashed together (like this one and the last one), just cause I prefer a 3-5k chapter length myself. It also allows me to feel more comfortable updating more often (appx 1/week) even while we're in the midst of writing. But what do you think? Would you rather have longer chapters farther apart? I tend to be pleasantly surprised by the consistency of our 8-11 page scenes/scene beats, and try to keep chapter lengths under 14 pages on google docs when doing the dividing (which is how we ended up with shorter chapters these last two, because combining would've made them quite long, and it felt like a good division between texting and the call). Anyway, curious to know your thoughts, drop 'em in a comment._

_ -OWT_


	7. Chapter 7

**SEVEN**

Monday Morning rolls back around again. Alex feels like a sleepwalker through most of her classes— Even with plenty of sleep Saturday, Sunday night was two hours of decent sleep filled with nightmares. Not a good mixture for learning. But she has a water bottle full of iced coffee and sheer force of will to get her through the day. Which is what she usually does. By the time seventh period rolls around, she's pretty much crashed. Talking to Mrs. Long a bit has perked her up, but she's still nodding off during notes.

Signal stations, radios, pools of brackish water. Submarines, stacked rocks, that green jacket. Alex manages not to jump when Mrs. Long calls her out of her stupor.

"Alex? Are you alright?"

"Oh— Yeah, no, I'm— I'm right as rain! Just… didn't sleep well last night."

.

Jonas had been focused on doing actual TA things, but her name pulls him from his concentration. As soon as he recognizes that fact, he immediately tries to hide it, because he was definitely getting a couple of odd looks from students at the beginning of class, and he's decided it's because of Alex's stay on the couch Friday. It doesn't feel like a horribly inaccurate assumption, either, because there's at least one pair of eyes glancing back to him when Alex is called out. He looks back down to his work, tries to ignore heat creeping up the back of his neck. Puts on that indifferent face he's become so good at.

"Do you need to go to the nurse's office? Or maybe the water fountain?"

…Is it that noticeable? Like… there were _looks _earlier. And he's pretty sure he got a look when he showed up during fifth period, as well. _This _is why this was a bad idea. This was a horrible idea. Why had she sat down next to him? God, now there's going to be suspicion and rumors and…

He can't help it, his eyes wander off of the papers he's grading again (and they're actually kinda interesting papers, syllogisms are weirdly fun to grade), and they're caught by the girl who sent Alex a note on Friday. She raises her eyebrows at him - a minute gesture, but a pretty clear indication of her curiosity. Aaaand he looks down again. Bad idea. All of this has been a bad idea.

If they're gonna communicate it should only be outside of school. Or only on days he's not in class with her. All he can think about is the rumors that circulated around a super cute assistant teacher at his last school, and how there was enough suspicion that she was accused of sleeping with students just because some assholes purposefully monopolized her after school hours. And yeah, he's not a teacher, but still. How creepy is it for a college student to date a highschooler. He's only ever heard that it's a creepy, desperate thing.

Wait, they're not dating. So that's— it's not—

But if people _think _they're dating—

They haven't even texted that much since Saturday night! (Well, Sunday morning.) A brief mention that the dreams were… weird. Which— yeah. They were. They are. All kinds of weird. He'd hit up the community center gym Sunday (because you can't get bugged about church if you aren't there to bug; he knows this, he has a perfect schedule of sleeping through it and then avoiding his mom for the rest of the day until she forgets to guilt him about it. It's been working for approximately a year now) and there had been a brief moment of weird vertigo in the pool, feeling deeper than he was, the light shifting green, a shadow in the distance, and he'd struggled to the surface to pant at the ladder until a lifeguard came to ask if he was alright.

Yeah. The dreams were weird.

.

For a second Alex just gnaws at the inside of her lip, before nodding. Water is probably a good idea. Even though it's something she both hates, and needs to live. "Yeah. Maybe." Mrs. Long is quick to head back to her desk and start writing a hall pass, while Alex starts moving her things around to actually stand up. Which may have been an absolutely, positively, terrible idea.

It starts with ringing. A high pitched whine in her left ear, like radio static, and she squeezes her eyes shut against it. Then her vision goes spotty, and she doesn't know when exactly she ends up on the ground, but she's definitely on the ground now. Hard linoleum flooring pressing cold through her jacket. To the rest of the class, it looks like she's standing fine one second and crumpling into herself the next, breath shallow and shaky. Jonas's mother lets out a noise of surprise, just staring at the scene for a half second, before looking over to Jess.

"Jess, go get the nurse please."

.

Jonas's hands have tightened around the papers, but he manages to keep himself from jumping to his feet. Just barely. It would just be weird _not _to stare, at this point, and there's a mix of shocked silence and varying degrees of alarm from the rest of the class. He feels a muscle in his jaw tighten, pulse racing and breath tightening, because this feels familiar in a way he really doesn't like, because that way reminds him of pages of handwritten notes from the spring, reviewed only yesterday after months forgotten. Minimal entries that eventually, once he'd been assured he wasn't about to be committed for them, became more and more detailed, the margins filled with shitty doodles that he's realized he still draws. Those radial hash marks. Radio signals. Triangles.

And there was an entry like this. A classroom, and a body collapsed. A girl with eyes gone red, murmuring unintelligibly.

Luckily there's no red eyes or murmuring here. Not yet, anyway.

Still, he's staring with the rest of them, knuckles white and frozen to his seat. No wonder his mom had gone for a student to do the errand running. And a good choice too, she's out of the classroom quickly, eager to help a friend.

She's on her way to the back of the class, his mom is, with that no-nonsense look she gets. "Excuse me." Desks are moved out of her way as she comes to Alex's side, taking her wrist for a moment and tracking a pulse, checking her breathing. She pulls Alex's bookbag from her desk and props the girl's feet up on it.

"Is she-" Whoever spoke goes quiet before Jonas can spot who it was. His mom doesn't even look around to check.

She briefly touches at the back of Alex's head, then squeezes her hand, taps her shoulder gently. "Alex, are you alright?" How she manages to sound so calm is anyone's guess.

"Mrs. Long-"

"She'll be fine, she just fainted." It's not dismissive, but her tone is relaxed enough that she manages to cut some of the tension in the room. "It happens. Kind of scary to see, but it's not the end of the world." He's not sure if she's faking her casual demeanor for the benefits of her students or if she really is that confident in her assessment. And if _he _can't tell, that bodes well for the rest of the class.

Alex starts to stir.

His mom glances right at Jonas. "Can I have your water bottle, please?"

He's dumbfounded for a second, but then snaps out of it, reaching for the bottle lodged in the corner of his bag and passing it over.

She looks down at Alex and cracks a smile at her as she opens the water bottle, setting it aside. "Welcome back. You're gonna be okay, you just fell down and bumped your head. Got a standard pop quiz for you, Alex: you know what year it is? Who the president is?"

.

For a minute, Alex has no idea what's going on. She remembers standing, and then cold, and now Mrs. Long is sitting by her and the whole class is staring— Questions. Okay, she can do questions. The first one is easy, though the second she answers with a soft kind of snort. "Bold of you to assume I care about the presidency."

It seems to ease some of the tension in her classmates, one letting out a nervous laugh as they glance over. Mrs. Long lets out a tutting noise, though she's smiling now, rolling her eyes as Alex tries to sit herself up onto her forearms. Why are her feet propped up? Did she just trip over her backpack, or…? This is weird. She's missing some things. But that's probably because of the whole not sleeping thing. There's a part of her that wants to ask what happened, what's going on, but from the way everyone's looking at her it might not be the right choice. So instead she tries glancing around.

First to see if Jess is there - which she isn't, probably because Mrs. Long had asked her to do something - then to the whiteboard, then her teacher, still trying to blink spots out of her eyes. This kind of sucks. No, not even kind of. This sucks.

.

"You might not want to stand just yet," his mom is smiling, with a slight rueful tinge because Jonas realizes she knows full well that that's just how Alex _is, _already wanting to be on her feet even if the smart thing to do is to stay down. "You're gonna just kick back and relax here for a minute, hm? Feet up, it's good for the circulation." She pats the backpack with an air of finality before standing and heading back to the front of the room.

.

"Oh no, what a nightmare!" This was already a nightmare, but hey. Not like she has much left to lose.

.

Like Alex is gonna stay stretched out on the floor with her classmates looking on.

"She can have the couch. If that's better."

.

When Jonas offers up his couch, the attention is momentarily drawn off of Alex and onto him, her own eyes flicking over for a second before she offers up a shrug.

.

Shit. He probably shouldn't have offered. But his mom is giving him a smile - with that tiny touch of pride like hey, she raised her kid right - and nodding. "That's very thoughtful of you, Jonas, thank you." She glances to Alex again. "Take your time. Enjoy the thrilling experience of having everyone treat you like you're made of glass." There's a teasing lilt to her smile. She had too much of that, in her time. Jonas remembers it well enough. It had frustrated her to no end.

He clears off his papers, moving them to a spare chair in the back corner, as quietly as he can manage as his mother passes out a worksheet comparing one play to another. The girl she'd sent to the nurse arrives back, nurse-less, just as the phone on her desk rings, and she answers quietly, glancing at the back of the class. "She's alright. I'll send her down when she's feeling up to it."

Jonas looks back at Alex, hesitantly. Is he… supposed to help her?

.

After a few minutes, Alex manages to tug herself up into a sitting position without getting another head rush, rolling out her shoulders before starting to stand. She stumbles once, but she's alright. At least she thinks she's alright. Those flashes are still in the back of her head. Green jacket, red eyes, brown hair— different little ticks she doesn't understand. Something about a chair? A stupid chair? Ow. Ow, ow, that's a migraine.

Apparently she's still not all that up to moving. Maybe it's because she gets a red-green ring around the edge of her vision, or maybe because for a moment it looks like the white board is playing hangman, but it definitely doesn't do anything good for her. The scratching of chalk, the world turned upside down, Clarissa… Clarissa? Alex trips on her own two feet again and has to grab onto something so she doesn't take another spill right after recovering from her first one. That something ends up being Jonas's forearms.

To be honest she doesn't really care. Her head is screaming at her, and nothing really makes sense, but that's been her life for the last year and a half or so. A bunch of different coincidences and situations that just don't make sense. Alex mutters curses under her breath, and tries again to keep her vision intact.

.

There is very little that can be done to stop gossip if the girl you're worried you've been linked to in rumors is literally _falling into your arms. _Jonas frowns. Well. Might as well. His expression is grimly resigned, and not at all amused, face stoic despite the pink coloring his ears.

She's doing her little swoony bit, so he hooks an arm around back of her knees and picks her up for the last few feet to the couch, setting her down with little to no ceremony, and thrusting the water bottle into her hands before stepping away to the other corner to return to his work. Professional. Nothing more than that.

And he will pointedly ignore her for the rest of the class. That's a promise he's making to himself, because socially this whole thing is too stressful. He slips back on that distant, apathetic guise, shedding his previous concern, and listens to the steady scratch of pens on paper as the rest of the students complete their classwork. He makes a concentrated effort not to turn to look at Alex.

.

Okay? Okay, that was— That had been a thing. Instead of saying anything, Alex makes the pointed choice to close her eyes and try to think of something other than vague bits and pieces. Maybe food? Strawberries would be good right now. Ren had invited her over to his house later, but considering how she's just fainted, that probably isn't going to happen. She's still holding onto the stupid water bottle.

After about five more minutes of just laying there, Alex can't take it anymore. She needs an out. To go running, maybe, but that'll have to be when she isn't in danger of just randomly falling. How long has it been since she last fainted? A year or so? Something like that. So she takes a swig of the water, kicks her legs over the side of the couch, and starts for the nurses office. Mrs. Long warns her to take someone else, just in case she has another spell, and after a withering look to the ground Alex picks Jess.

The two walk side by side in silence, for a while. Then her friend breaks it. "So… he was pretty cool back there, huh?"

"Who was?"

"Y'know. The TA." Jonas. Didn't _anyone _know his actual name?

.

Jonas is maybe too focused on his work. Not focused enough. But also… too focused. He's practically glaring at the papers until she leaves, and has to keep rereading them. Finally, once she's out of the room, things get a little easier. He remembers that he was actually enjoying this until she went scaring the crap out of him with her fainting spell. With third period (one of the classes he never actually sees) graded and out of the way, he hesitates before moving on to fifth.

His mother is immersed in rereading something or other, probably reviewing whatever she's about to talk about, who knows, he's not a teacher, the point is: she's distracted. Enough. And, he reminds himself, he's not actually a student here. If he wants to have his cell phone out… there probably isn't actually a rule preventing him? Probably?

Regardless, it's on do not disturb and he hides it in the shadow of his arm as he types out a quick text.

**Alex Strickland**

_(You okay?(_

There isn't a response. But that's to be expected, it's still school hours, and even without being a student he's heard the rumors of some pretty harsh teachers that very nearly cross the line on property confiscation. It's fair she wouldn't want to risk needing her mom called in to check back out her cell from some extra-strict teacher. Whatever. She'll respond later.

Another few minutes and the door pushes open and Jess shoots Mrs. Long a thumbs up, and Jonas feels a knot he hadn't realized was forming loosen a bit. He watches the girl for a second too long, and she catches his eye before he looks away again, tucking his phone back into his pocket. The next glance he shoots is more surreptitious, but just in time, as he spots the changing hands of a note.

Seriously, did people pass this many notes at North Valley? Well, no, but there was a lot more texting in class. And carving into the desks. And just… well, just ignoring the teachers, really. …Wow, they were kind of the worst, weren't they? Compared to his peers at NVHS, this class was practically angelic.

Jonas's eyes narrow for a fraction of a second on the note being passed. Feels less than angelic. Despite the small upturned lips from Jess when she catches his eye again.

Finally, he gets himself to look away for good. Only fifteen more minutes of this. Then he can wait for the students to file out, make his excuses to his mom, and slip out amid the crowded masses.


	8. Chapter 8

**EIGHT**

It isn't until school is out that Alex manages to text him back. She's a bit early walking out of the office to get her stuff, but once the bell rings it's the usual stream of people bursting into the halls with chatter and the clang of locker doors. Jess had stayed behind a bit, helping her with her things before having to sprint off to the parking lot, and Alex starts back home again.

**Mystery TA Man Jonas**

_(Sorry.(_

_(For all that.(_

The odd thing is how her tone has shifted from the last time they were talking. It's not hesitant, but it certainly isn't positive, either. She still has those images in her head. Clarissa going out a window, sitting on a street lamp, those red eyes— Alex has seen them somewhere before. She knows she has. Some shitty horror maybe, or in other tidbits, but it feels so wrong. So alien. Which makes sense, considering eyes aren't supposed to be red. Since when are human eyes red? Ugh, she's overthinking this again.

.

Jonas isn't sure why he feels the need to excuse himself early from his volunteer duties - or make excuses at all - but he does anyway. His head is down as he walks the halls toward the parking lot, scrolling through his phone. The message from Alex pops up just as he's exiting the building.

**Alex Strickland**

_(?(_

_(You're okay tho?(_

Why would she need to apologize? He's seen people faint before, that looked pretty legit, he thinks he'd know if she were faking-

"It's Jonas, right?"

Whatsername. Jess. Standing right in his path.

Oh God. This again? How much he'd prefer to just stay Mystery TA Man. But his mom had flat out said it not even an hour ago, for the whole class to hear. "…Yeah." He doesn't elaborate.

Her hands are shoved in her pockets as she rocks forward and back on her feet, briefly swaying into his personal space, making him stiffen and step back, warily. "So how do you know Alex?"

_Who? _The response is on the tip of his tongue - a flat and boldfaced deception - before he stops himself. Wait, no, her name was used, too. Can't use that lie. "I don't."

Jess's lips quirk in that smile she'd given him earlier, when he'd caught her passing the note. "Awfully nice of you to sweep her off her feet, then."

His fingers tighten into a fist before he forces them relaxed again, eyes darting away even as his irritation is evident. "That's— not what happened."

"What, you saving her?"

"That's _definitely _not what happened." How the hell does she figure that?

"It's not?" Oh God, she's one of _those. _She has that little almost-victorious smile, like she knows she's pushing the right buttons. And he's just paranoid enough to worry she is, though he has no idea what she's aiming at.

"She fell into me."

"Into your waiting arms?"

His ire is rising. "Look, I didn't want anyone hurt."

"Especially Alex."

"_Anyone._"

"Alright, alright, I concede. You don't want _anyone _hurt." For a minute, it looks like Jess is backing off. But she's still smiling, as she rocks herself back and forth, letting the silence fester. "Took the extra time to pick her up, though."

He's not gonna pretend _not _to be annoyed. "Look, is there a point you're getting at, here? Christ, since when does a guy get grilled for doing a good deed," he grumbles, rolling his eyes, not _quite _rude enough to just push past her.

She rolls her eyes a bit, "I'm not grilling you for helping her! Look, I was worried about her, too. I've been her friend since middle school, and seeing her just dip out like that was kind of freaky. But no one just offers up a designated seat and picks someone up without at least knowing them a little first."

"It's not a _designated seat_, I'm not even-" _Not even a real TA. _"-It's just where I sit, it's not a _thing_, you're trying to make it a _thing_."

"I mean. It kind of is? Look— I'll leave, and you can forget about this, but I'm sure someone else is gonna ask tomorrow."

His patience is running dangerously thin. He straightens his back, taking a step into her space with as much intimidation as he can muster. "And I'll tell them what I told you." The heat of his anger cools to a hard chill. "I was being a decent human being. It's not my fault none of you twerps stepped up."

Her lower lip presses out a bit, almost a line, and she takes a step back. After a good minute of staring each other down, Jess tosses her hands to the air, and starts walking away. "Alright. I'll let you deal with the masses. Don't come crying to me when the shit starts flying."

Jonas just barely stops himself from mimicking her to her back, instead rolling his eyes and continuing his path to his truck. He swipes open his phone again, texting one-handed.

**Alex Strickland**

_(Ran into Jess(_

_(That girl's a fuckin peach(_

_(Kill me.(_

.

Walking home isn't great, but she's used to it. Been doing it ever since middle school. Usually, Ren gets picked up, and Nona takes the bus; which means she's on her own for the roughly 20-25 minute span of time to just… pip around on her phone or something. When she gets the notification from Jonas, Alex doesn't really want to answer. But he's worried, and Jess probably got in his face, so. May as well.

**Mystery TA Man Jonas**

_(Sorry about her, too.(_

_(She doesn't really know when to quit, in case you didn't notice.(_

_(Physically, I'm alright, I guess. Walking home.(_

_(Mentally not so much.(_

Then again, when is she ever mentally sound? Alex never reaches out to her mother, she's the formal, logical one of the two. They've always butted heads. Almost even more than her parents did, when she hit puberty. Usually she'd go to her dad, but… he isn't here anymore. Alex's jaw tightens. Sure, he's just a text message away, even if he is in another town. This isn't something she'd go to him for anyways.

Her hands are still shaking as she texts again.

.

Walking? Jonas frowns down at his phone. The truck roars to life in all its ancient glory, the parking gear clunked into drive, gear shift as sticky as always, despite being an automatic. A real piece of shit. But he loves it anyway. Hence the name. Bily. Short for POSBILY. Piece of shit. But I love you. To his mom, this is simplified to Bily. His dad knows the truth of it.

He shouldn't be checking his phone while driving, but he can't help his curiosity, glancing down as it buzzes on the passenger seat.

**Alex Strickland**

_)Scratch that. Physically I probably need way more sleep than I'm getting.)_

_)But I don't want to go to bed.)_

_)And that's not just my weird brand of insomnia.)_

Christ, is he really…?

Jonas sighs. Yeah, he is.

They live in the same neighborhood, it's the same way home. She's only a few minutes ahead of him, after all of it. The pickup slows and he leans across (one of the benefits of a large wingspan) to pop the door open.

"Get in, loser, I'm saving your life again."

.

Alex jumps a bit when she hears him yelling at her, but she's paused on the sidewalk, staring at Jonas like he's just asked her to jump off a bridge. There's two options she's presented with. One, keep walking, and risk both fainting again and not getting home alright. Two, get in the car and deal with the guy who's been both keeping her in check and not doing that at all. After considering her options, she just shakes her head, climbing into the passenger seat of the truck and closing the door behind her.

"And you call _me _insane. I was just walking, Jonas, it's not like I'll die." Sure, fainting about a half hour beforehand probably wasn't good, but she's fine. It's all fine. She glances around the interior, not exactly keeping her eyes off of Jonas, but wanting to figure out what his endgame will be. "Nice truck, though."

It's cool in a piece of shit kind of way. But she likes that. It's like why Alex never wears the fancy dresses her mom gets for her, or the button ups, or the heels. Heels are the wrath of God upon this great green earth.

.

"Thanks." His wry tone makes it clear he doesn't believe her, but he's not about to argue because it's perfectly fine for him, regardless of her feelings on the matter. As soon as she's settled in, Jonas pulls back out into the road.

"I'm not saying you'll die. I'm saying you'll crack your head open in the pavement and endure extensive pain and suffering, eventually becoming a vegetable. So here I am. Saving you from a life of blinking your words one letter at a time." The whole truck hums, as it does, a steady vibration. He glances over at her, at the bags bruised under her eyes, the sheer weariness seeping out of her. "Christ, Alex, take a nap. It's like a fifteen minute drive. You look like you need every second you can get."

.

Okay, that's probably dipping into the extreme level of the pool, but she isn't going to call him out on it. Because he's right, in a way; she shouldn't really be walking alone just after fainting. But she also doesn't like the idea of just going to sleep in someone's pickup. Even if it is comfortable. And kind of rocking. And now she's yawning, and god damn it she does _not _want to go to sleep. Nope. Not today.

"Nah, I'll be fine. If it's a fifteen minute drive, it won't be worth the trouble." She doesn't want to see whatever her dreams have in store for her again. "I can just cycle reset myself, y'know? Wait until a decent time to go to bed and then pass out, wake up refreshed or whatever." That's a kind of sound argument. A mostly sound argument.

Back to fiddling with her phone to try and keep herself awake. With Ren doing his own thing, Nona keeping away from her own device to get work done, and her mom still at work, there isn't much to do. Which means there isn't much helping her get any less tired. And she ran out of coffee a little bit ago.

.

The words are hardly out of her mouth before Jonas snorts. "Suuure, 'cycle reset.' Says the girl calling at 4am while _pwning teh n00bs _on the interwebs." It doesn't take a mind reader to guess that wasn't a first-time occurrence.

He shoots a glance over at her, lips hooked in a grim smile. "Well you managed to pass out on me once, what was the secret there?" He's not about to abduct her or anything, but he does turn to go down the scenic route, silently adding another five minutes to their trip. "Do I just have to start droning on about very personal stories that I don't tell anyone in order to put you out?"

.

Internally, Alex cringes at his words, though she manages not to make some kind of stupid quip back at him. "Look, I didn't mean to fall asleep when you were talking! It just kinda… happened, I guess. So, sorry about that." Man she's apologizing a lot today. Then again, it's also for things she did two days before, which has to count for something. "I didn't mean to pass out, either. Though I feel like that should be obvious. You can clearly tell there is something wrong."

Everyone else can, too, but she doesn't say that. Instead she settles herself further into the passenger seat, gives up on trying to use her phone as a distraction, and instead focuses on Jonas. Maybe if he keeps her talking, Alex won't fall asleep. But he's probably thought of that already. And— that's another thing; since when did he start caring about her sleep cycle? Or how healthy she is?

.

"Yeah. Something that could definitely be helped with a bit of rest." Sleep, food, basic hygiene. Things that could help anyone feel more human. He adds in another wrong turn, looping back on himself. "If we're both stuck with this whole dream thing, the least I can do is help, right?"

.

She shoots him a look of annoyance. Alex is being kind of like a petulant kid, sure, but she doesn't want to go to sleep. Weird shit happens when she goes to sleep. The only time it hasn't happened is when— Oh. Oh, that's a theory.

When she called Jonas, she hadn't gotten any odd dreams. Or, less than her normal odd. The nightmare ones. "Fine. Whatever. I will go to bed. But_ only _because you made a deliberate wrong turn back there to make the ride longer." She curls her legs up onto the seat, crosses her arms over her chest, and closes her eyes. "Don't think I didn't notice that, I know my own way home." A pause. "Thank you."

The truck keeps rattling along, and she has the afterthought to undo her ponytail, teal hair crimped a bit from the hair tie falling back onto her shoulders. Alex, for someone so loud when talking, is oddly quiet now. Her head rests on the window, jostling every so often, but it doesn't bother her.

.

Jonas attempts to hide his not-quite-smug smirk, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he winds his way further into the quieter half of suburbia. "Thanks for the pity nap, princess." It's a low, sarcastic drawl— though sincere enough in its sentiment.

* * *

_Notes:_ _A bit later than usual, mostly cause writing has slowed down, but there's still some in reserve so they'll get posted even as we work on things. Winter makes me sad and sluggish, so my apologies. Thanks for stickin' around to keep an eye on these two dorks. ❤_  
_-OWT_ _(also, fun fact, we keep referencing 'get in loser I'm saving your life again' while playing video games)_


	9. Chapter 9

**NINE**

Every turn he makes is the opposite direction of any groups of people. He manages to guide them, somehow, toward a deserted housing development. Maybe the money ran out, maybe the crew's on strike, maybe they just don't work Mondays - whatever it is, it's abandoned. One show house, a bunch of empty lots, and two projects mid-construction. The important thing is no teens getting out of class, no parents on their way to pick up younger kids, no suburban wives jogging their little dogs around the block.

He does a couple circuits of the empty neighborhood, trying to determine exactly how creepy this behavior is. Probably very? It makes sense, in an odd way, but that's just 'cause… well, 'cause it's her. She's already mostly insane, he's just… matching it. And it's kinda a relief, to be honest. Whatever their deal is, she's about as open and honest as she can get, and he's just trying to keep up. Even if openness isn't exactly his forte.

It's midway through the third round of lot-lot-lot-house-construction that he cracks a small smile, realizing why this idea had popped into his head in the first place. Stories from his mom, talking about how for a solid half a year as a baby Jonas was impossible to put to sleep unless he was driven around for a minimum of eight minutes. After that he was an angel, apparently (though he can never really take his mom's word on stuff like that), but the car was the key to happy sleep. _"We paid for your gas then, you have to help pay for it now." _That had been the whole context of the conversation. Speaking of which…

The fuel gauge says a quarter tank, and that's plenty to get back and forth to school a few times, but if this is gonna become a regular occurrence he's gonna have to preserve what he can. And maybe pick up some more odd jobs. Jonas pulls the truck to the side of the road in front of the shell of a house, shifting into park and then turning off the engine. Curious eyes flick over to the blue-haired girl asleep in his passenger seat. A _regular occurrence?_ Why should it become a regular occurrence?

Yeah, no, more of this whole 'watching her sleep' deal - too weird, not gonna happen.

He pops open the driver side door, pauses for a second. The phone in his pocket had buzzed a couple times on their drive. He checks it. 4:08. He glances back to Alex. Dismisses the calendar reminders for his 4:30 class. And hey, fuck it - if he's already behaving badly… He reaches into the backpack lodged between them, worming his fingers past the loose papers and pens and crushed syllabi to pluck out the pack of cigarettes stashed under it all. Might as well.

Jumping down from the cab, he plucks a smoke from the pack, before slipping the rest into his back pocket, digging for his lighter. His eyes wander the construction site, and he kicks up a bit of dust as he heads for the scaffolding. He spends a few minutes wandering the unfinished house, scuffing his feet against temporary flooring and trying not to fall down open stairways. It takes some careful maneuvering with a cigarette held precariously between tight lips, but he manages to get up into the attic, where the roof is still unfinished. This would be miserable in the rain. For now it's nice, though.

He perches on the junction of roof and scaffold, perilously balanced, until he's done smoking, then stubs the butt out on the nearest rafter before flicking it out toward an empty pool basin in the backyard. For a long minute he just taps his fingers against the aluminum scaffold, then finally takes in a long breath and begins to climb down.

.

It starts out fine. It starts out normal, almost, when she drifts into unconsciousness. But she still doesn't understand the context. Ren, Nona, Clarissa and herself are playing truth or slap. They're on the beach at Edwards Island. Just some dream she conjured up for herself using faces she knows, places she recognizes. Easy. There's someone in the back, too - an imposing figure leaned against the fence to the caves. His face is tipped toward the ground, enough to show some features, but not enough to put a name to a person. Cut jaw, broad shoulders, green jacket.

There isn't any sound. It's the first thing that tips Alex off. People are talking, she's talking, but there isn't any sound coming from anywhere. She does her best not to panic. Not to let people know about it. She glances around the fire again. Her friends features have been replaced. They're just— they're just bodies, all staring at her, except for one. The taller boy in the back. Alex jumps onto her feet, runs, tries to get away, and finds herself wading into water.

But she'd been on the beach just before. She'd been running toward the caves, why was she wading out into— into a river? No. Into the ocean. Those nameless, faceless figures that used to be her friends, all stare. All watch. They do nothing to help. She keeps running. It shouldn't be possible, for her to run like she does underwater, but this is a dream. What is there to be explained? Alex's vision blacks out, and then she's completely submerged, stuck with her boots half buried in the sand.

A submarine rests just behind her, split in two, and now she hears it. A whine that turns into screaming, as she tips her head toward the surface, only to see a triangle. It's sides move like sound waves, jostling with each pitchy wail, and she drops onto her knees. Still staring. There isn't a way for her to speak. She opens her mouth, takes a breath, screams, makes no noise. Another breath, another attempt, and nothing. _Nothing. _That's what this is. A pocket of nothing, that is nowhere, and will never be.

Something has its hand around her throat. Now Alex can't breathe. She was before, she knows she was, but it isn't working now. She can't breathe. She is drowning. Lifted, weightless in the water, and the pressure builds in her head. No movement. No air. All pressure and hard grips and evil. Inhale salt and brine, try to exhale, only take in more. Her eyes burn, but they're still open, and she spots the boy again. He's looking up at her in horror. It's Jonas.

This time, when she screams, Alex jolts herself awake. It's wordless, and it comes out wrong, strangled with the fear that whatever had a hold of her in that nightmare still does. She undoes her seat belt with shaking hands, and keels over onto the dashboard, head pressed against the surface as her eyes squeeze shut. It wasn't real. It couldn't have been real.

.

Jonas is almost back to the truck when he hears a restless shifting. Brow furrowed, he ups his pace, watching the girl inside toss and turn, warily. He's halfway around to her side already when she rockets into wakefulness, a frenzied amalgamation of noises practically pulled from her throat. He doesn't even think about it, about how maybe kind of _horribly creepy _it is, the whole sudden screaming, just wrenches the passenger side door open, eyes wide.

"Alex—" He's got a hand on the first thing he can reach - her knee - and then he's clapped a grip on her shoulder. "Are you— are you hurt? What-" He pulls his hands away quickly, takes a step back, letting air move through the two open doors, give her some breathing room. "What happened?"

.

Alex nearly kicks him before he's pulled away, striking blind at something that isn't there, shotgunning back into a sitting position to see who was touching her. And it's just Jonas. It's just Jonas, she doesn't know why she was so scared when it's just Jonas, but— it's probably her own vision playing tricks on her. That's what she wants to chalk it up to, when she stares at him and his eyes are red, and she screams again, backs into the truck as far as she can.

She covers her face again. It's not real, and she keeps telling herself that over and over again, but it's still there. It's still there and she can't understand why. Her shaking only worsens, but she tries talking. "Night- nightmare-" The weird dreams. The ones she's been trying to escape. "Why, I— I di-"

.

Jonas lifts his hands, backing away. "Just— just calm down, Alex, I'm not— you're okay." Since when is his heart in his throat? There's an anxiety beginning to gnaw away at the pit of his stomach, and it takes him a moment to realize why. He's had… _visions_, for lack of a better word. _This _is so much worse.

And, of course, in comes the guilt. Because the fear isn't for her, not like it should be; it's for himself. So he reminds himself that nightmares aren't contagious, that being scared of her isn't helpful to either of them, and takes a tentative half step forward, keeping at an angle, leaving a visible exit. He's not gonna crowd her, not when she's already looking like a cornered rabbit, ready to bolt. "Do you… Can I do anything?"

.

She wants to be sarcastic. She wants to act like nothing even happened, but that's not an option now, because Jonas is freaking out, and she's freaking out, and— Shit. Just… shit. Alex shouldn't be this terrified of something that probably doesn't even exist. Some conjuration her mind made to scare her. But she's been getting them every night. Her head shakes, jerkily, and she stills.

"This-" Her voice is shaking, and she loathes that it is, because this should be simple. When she was younger, she'd shrug these things off like they were nothing. Now she's petrified. "This is why I— I haven't been-" _Sleeping. _She can't finish the sentence, Alex has to take in a sharp breath, just to remain something like composed.

.

Jonas takes a deep breath through his nose, lets it out slowly. Calm. Everything will be easier if they just… breathe. Take it one thing at a time. Put things in perspective. One bad dream. Or more, even, either way: dreams. She's not hurt, just scared. Things will be okay. At least… at least, he can think that. His posture relaxes a bit, holding on to the car door. Silence hangs in the air for a moment, giving them both some breathing room.

When he finally does talk, he's trained his voice to something low and even. "You slept for a while, actually. Pretty soundly, it seemed like, for maybe-" he tries to do some math in his head, and settles on an estimation, "-forty minutes? Ish? And then when I came back you just… I don't know." It's completely irrational, he knows, but a tiny part of him suggests that this is karmic retribution for smoking, and he quickly stomps that bit away. Smoking's not a sin, not really. Still, there's a bit of guilt for leaving her.

.

Alex shrugs a bit, scrubs her hands at her face, and finally lifts her head again. She's quieter, now, but she's still panicking. Even if internally. Sleeping for forty minutes and being fine must've been when he was in the car. Explains why he didn't just lean over and wake her up if she started freaking out in his passenger seat. So… he'd left. Why does that thought hurt so much? Jonas leaving. She's known him for a week or so, there isn't any huge thing about it, but an unexplained absence doesn't make her feel any better.

It confirms a bit of her theory, though. He stopped the nightmares. If only for a bit. Maybe they'd come back while he was still there, and she hadn't realized, and maybe it was only a placebo, but they weren't there. For a while. Alex pinches the bridge of her nose, other hand on the seat, and just stays still. Tries not to think about it. Her eyes are burning again, but for an entirely different reason than getting dunked underneath the waves. She's crying. "Ugh— God, not… _Nhh._"

.

Shit. _Shit shit shit shit shit, _what did he say? "I'm sorry?" It's not meant to be a question, but he's not entirely sure what he's apologizing for, and his uncertainty seems to bleed into his tone. "Are— um—" How the hell does one respond to such a thing? She's vaguely coherent, though, and seems to be less than thrilled about her own state. Which is… promising? In a weird way. That she's aware of it, at least, and not trying to double down on the tears.

Jonas starts to reach for her again, then hesitates. Last time he even got close she skittered away. Maybe better to get the go-ahead. "Can I…" Yikes. Feels a little weird, asking to touch her, even just to comfort her. Instead, he makes the offer, in a sort of lame mumble. "Do you… want a hug?" The answer is probably no. She doesn't seem keen on contact at the moment. He's just not sure what else to do.

.

"You," Her voice starts off better than it ends up. "Are so— so lame." She's the one crying right now, but hey. Alex can say whatever the hell she wants, as long as she doesn't show any more weakness. Which is exactly what she's about to do. Again. This is so stupid. Double layered and really, really stupid. She has to convince herself that his eyes aren't about to go red again, that he isn't whatever that thing was, before she scoots across the cab again and wraps her arms around his shoulders.

It's a little awkward, but for some reason, it makes her feel better. Of course she's not exactly touch-starved or anything— she gets hugs from her parents. This is just… kind of not that. A parental figure trying to figure out what to do, or make up from a fight, or something. It's not _demanding _of her. Which, considering the situation, is better than she'd been before. Even if she's still kind of crying. That needs to stop.

.

Jonas manages a crooked smile - verging into smirk territory - at the insult, glad she's present enough to be picking on him. He's almost taken by surprise when she takes him up on the offer, but the movement is made with a stubborn decidedness that feels par for the course with Alex. Even if she's not sold on the idea, she goes into it with a certain level of resolve.

It's— Well, they haven't really touched much before. And this is… a lot, he realizes. Fully chest-to-chest. But if she's going all in, so will he. It's awkward for a second, putting his arms around her - just 'cause she's sort of stiff, and compared to her his arms practically swallow her up. But he's gonna give her the best goddamn hug of her life because there's nothing else he really feels capable of doing for her in the moment, and she probably needs this more than she realizes.

With him standing outside and her sitting in the pickup they're just about level. He adjusts his hold, and she slides a little closer across the beat-up leather seat, engulfed as he ducks his head beside hers. He isn't usually one for hugging. He's not a causal hugger, really. But a good hug, when it's needed, is an intuitive thing. A nice firm touch - grounding, with a steady grip and the occasional back rub for comfort. He gives good hug.

.

Why is he so tall? He's too tall. It isn't an observation she thought she'd be having, but that's just where her head goes. A distraction from everything keeping her trapped in her mind. There's something familiar about it, but she isn't going to just… come out and say that. Because that would definitely be taken in a weird way. So instead she just tugs herself closer, wraps her legs around his waist, and stays there.

It's something she's done to nearly everyone. With Ren, with Nona, even some with her parents when she was younger. Just latching onto something and refusing to let go. Usually when she went to haunted houses. More often than not, it was Ren that was latching onto _her. _The thought manages to make Alex laugh, though it's cut off, not really all there. Her fingers toy with his collar, and absentmindedly she butts her forehead against his chin. Another habit.

.

There is maybe some element of pride when she brings herself even closer - because, ha, yes, he was so incredibly right - even if Jonas feels something in his chest stutter for a second, there's still a bit of a smirk growing. Her head's against his chest, and he's feeling maybe a little full of himself, but she's playing with his collar and he wonders if she can feel the slight heat working its way over his skin. As Alex shifts to not-quite-nuzzle at him, he feels a little too much her breath on his neck. A brief moment of surprise makes him glance down for a second, only to glance away because a thought entered his mind that shouldn't really be there while comforting someone.

And then another. "I probably smell like cigarettes, sorry." He doesn't smoke regularly - not like he did when his mom was sick and he was maybe a little too eager for self-destruction - but he did _just _have one. He'll have to air out his jacket before heading home, or his mom will be extra suspicious.

He'll also have to make sure he doesn't head home too early, or it'll be obvious he's skipped class.

.

Alex just shrugs at him. "Never really cared about smelling smoke. Ren nearly always smells like one of his brownies, so nothing bothers me much." That, and it's distinctive. Something she can associate with him— and kind of blackmail that she would never use. Because that would probably get him in trouble with his mom. Then his mom would ask how she knew, and that's something she'd very much like to avoid.

For a long time after that, she's quiet. Alex stopped crying after about a minute, but she doesn't really want to pull away from him. Because she's warm, and he's comfortable. Which is kind of weird. When she does hug people, it's usually quick, more like a grab before she starts moving on again. Movement is her thing. Running, drifting, wherever things take her. But here… here she doesn't want to run. She had before, when things were still confusing, when she was panicking. Now she just wants to wait. To take a minute, and breathe.

.

Once she pauses for a second, and falls into weird companionable silence, face tucked low against his chest, Jonas adjusts his hold a little, rests his chin on top of her head. It's nice to take a second to breathe. Even nicer now that's she's definitely not crying. His job is done here, but he doesn't pull away.

…Even when he starts to wonder if he's really being as charitable as he initially intended.

The silence gradually lets his mind wander, and it's not wandering places it ought to. Instead, he's too aware of how her body is pressed against him, legs wrapped around him, and how even with good intentions this would look pretty damning. And then he starts to think about earlier, and how he was legitimately very worried for her, and yet can't help but regret swooping in to her rescue based on the reaction he garnered. Which is stupid. He shouldn't regret that, it was the right thing to do. He's just… self-conscious.

.

"You're too fuckin tall, you know that?" It's the best thing she can think of to break the silence.

.

Her comment draws him out of his reverie, though, and he's glad for it.

"Yep. Long boys. Tall boys. You should meet my uncle, he's like 6'6."

.

"Oh, Jesus. That's insane. How does he walk under doorways without slamming his head onto them?" Probably ducking. But Jonas's family is just insanely tall, for some reason. Or he's just insanely tall. Mrs. Long is closer to her own height, anyways. "How do _you _walk under doorways without slamming into them?"

It's a bit of a quip, and Alex chuckles slightly, only pulling her head out from underneath his own to offer a crooked smile. Her hair frames her face, and she remembers that stupid nickname Jonas had called her when they were texting again— Blue Curaçao. What is it, a liquor? Some kind of alcohol. She needs a nickname for him. Ren, she just uses his full name, and Nona has a multitude of them, but he doesn't have one yet. 'Mystery TA Man' doesn't really fit that mold anymore.

Rough and tumble aren't the right words to describe her. Eyes still red and a little puffy from tears, a too-big jacket wrapped around her, and rumpled clothes from sleeping in a probably uncomfortable position. Alex looks oddly soft. That normally sharp smile of hers dimmed a bit, more genuine, still skewed. That's the word. Soft.

.

He's got a look of crooked amusement on his face, a brow raised at her question. "First of all; the average door frame offers plenty of leeway. Secondly; Christ, you should've seen me in middle school, I was all about the door frames. Honestly, through sophomore year, really. I once popped a ceiling tile loose in the hall when I was proving my jump height." He was both embarrassed and weirdly proud of that odd achievement, despite the detention it earned him.

And then he's way too aware of how close she is.

Waaay too aware.

But, well, it's not like this is the first time he's been close to a girl and starting thinking Thoughts. First time he's done it with a girl - who's not his girlfriend - having her legs around his waist, though. Jonas's eyes slide away, clearing his throat. "Uncle Andy has it tough, though. He's clear like 90% of the time, and then will end up miscalculating like 1%. The rest, he ducks just in case."

He should probably let go of her. Probably. Instead, he just loosens his hold a little.

.

Alex winces a bit at the idea of slamming her head into things constantly, though she still gets a laugh out of it. "Ouch. At least they're not falling flat on their faces when they fuck up a vault, though. Those can really damn your face for a while." She should know. She's done that a whole lot.

She doesn't really do _parkour, _or whatever people want to call it, but she's mapped her town. She knows all the escape routes, and what it takes to get through them. Well enough that by now she might be able to free-run through just about any part of it. Though if she moves somewhere else? Alex would have to take the time to map again, to work her way through the motions, understand whatever the zones have in store.

Then, she glances back past Jonas, and spots the unfinished houses. Perfect spot to run her problems away. Maybe he knows more about her than he thought. Alex moves herself back a bit, ruffles up his hair with both hands, and then lets go completely; sliding past to take off in a dead sprint toward the first house.

.

Jonas is busy attempting to fix the mess she made of his hair, lips twisted in annoyance, when she bolts. He grabs for her collar and just misses, and doesn't bother taking the time to roll his eyes, instead sprinting right after her. But Long boys have long Long legs, and Alex - though very good with what she has - does not, and Jonas comes up alongside and gets an arm around her waist, tackling her to the ground.

"Okay, what the hell Alex." He's a little winded, more from the tackle than the sprint, and tries to shift his weight off of her. "You can't be crying one minute and then take off toward potentially dangerous construction sites, that's like—" He rolls himself over her, getting a hand in her collar to pin her down from running again. "—mixed messages. Or the same message." He shakes his head, tries to clarify; "Look, I'm not inclined to let self-confessed _exhausted _sad girl who _fainted earlier today _out of my sight in a dangerous area with lots of pointy things and high ledges, okay?" Most of his tone is annoyed, but there's a bit of anxiety as well. And maybe a tiny bit of amusement. Because of course she would. He's rapidly learning more and more about Alex. Self-preservation is not her strong suit.

.

Ow. Fuck. Okay that's a thing that just happened. And that's the second time she's had to think that today. "It's— Ugh, okay, I'm not about to go kill myself or whatever," Alex huffs out the words, glaring up at him with an almost petulant look on her face. "I was gonna _run_. I do that, when I get freaked. I go out, and I run for an hour." And it would probably have exhausted her more, which really wasn't a good idea, so Jonas maybe has a point. Even though she'd rather not admit that.

Despite getting the wind knocked out of her, Alex still tries to get a leg up, not to get out but just to have a point of leverage once she does try something. So instead she stares him down.

If she had better forethought, she wouldn't have done that. At all. Because he's still really tall, and Alex usually doesn't care what happens to her (which is admittedly probably a bad thing), but she's kind of terrified. And kind of something she isn't going to think about at all nope, no, not at all. Now she can't tell if she's flushed from the (rather brief) run and tackle, or the… the other thing.

.

He's probably breathing harder than he should be. He _feels _like he shouldn't be half-panting like he is. Jonas makes a conscious effort to feel like less of a creep, steadying his breathing through his nose, and is about to pull away, lean back on his knees, but she's moving like she's gonna roll out from under him. He has - unfortunately - been in this position before, for a very different reason. A much bloodier and less well-meaning reason, on the cement sidewalk outside NVHS. Leverage is key.

Guilt and shame coil in the pit of his stomach, because he shouldn't be treating her like some punk kid trading blows in a parking lot.

So forget trying to go for strategy. This isn't a fucking wrestling match. The end goal isn't any kind of physical victory.

"I'm not saying— I mean, not necessarily on purpose." The idea maybe _possibly _could've entered his mind. He drops closer for a minute, rocking onto one forearm to free the other from around her, then pulls back more, focusing his hold on the excess fabric of the jacket rather than her waist. There's a little more space between their chests this time. Now he can attribute the breathlessness to the maneuvering. "I just mean— You kinda seem the sort to rush into things without thinking, Alex." The irony of his current situation is not lost on him.

There's a pause. He is very, _very _aware of their position. For a second his brow furrows, not from the argument, but from a moment of hesitation, studying her face. Then he lets go, pulls away, sitting back on his knees. "You know what, forget it. I just— I dunno. Sorry."

.

She manages to roll her eyes at him, tugging herself up onto her forearms. "Look, if you think I'm gonna gut myself on some scraps or whatever, you can just supervise me. Like some weird nanny." Alex nearly snorts at her own idiot self. After worming her way out from underneath him rather unceremoniously, she clears her throat a bit, rolling out her shoulders and brushing the dirt off of the jacket. "Supervisor Jonas." Oh, hey, that's an option. Maybe for when she does stupid shit.

But then again, she's done a whole lot of stupid shit. Once she's content that she's at least a little cleaner, Alex starts for the buildings again, this time making sure to walk so that he isn't scared of her just bolting.

.

Jonas is sitting back, hands on thighs, mentally berating himself for being a dumb fucking cretin, a fucking fool, an absolute fucking buffoon, when the words hit him. "Right…" There's a wry twist to his lips, 'cause those words are ringing a bell somewhere in the back of his head, and the words come out deadpan; "_…Supervisor Jonas._" But she's up and gone, and - despite himself, despite the thoughts that he should just leave her alone, stop being so close to her, stop trying to help her, stop trying to help her _by _being close to her - he's scrambling up to follow after.

.

The show house won't give her anything to do other than maybe slide down a bannister, if it has any, but the half-built ones could give far more yield to her sprinting around and creating a kind of obstacle course for herself.

Oh, hey, maybe she should do that when she gets back. Instead of freaking her mom out by randomly going for runs at nearly 5 AM. Alex doesn't look back to see if Jonas is following her. It's kind of an assumption that he won't let her do anything stupid.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you take me for someone who thinks at all. I haven't had a single thought in my head since freshman year. That Guildenstern reading? Pure luck and speculation." It hadn't been. She knows it wasn't. She knew what she was doing. A lot of the time, she knows what she's doing, and she chooses to ignore it. Kind of like how Alex had known her mom would flip over her hair being blue, and did it anyways. Same difference with running through an abandoned building. "This head is empty."

.

He highly doubts that, but he bites his tongue, as he catches up to Alex, lips hitching into a smirk despite himself. "Oh yeah, I've seen your work; can barely spell your own name. Shocked you made it this far, to be honest."

So they've settled back into this. Jonas can do that. Better than feeling whatever weird protective instinct he's been having, that's for sure. She just… He sighs as she monkeys her way up the scaffolding, heading for a second floor opening, and begins climbing up after her. She's a stormchaser. Or maybe the storm. Whatever she is, it's trouble. But for now, he's along for the ride, whether he wants to be or not. Unfortunately, he thinks he might want to.


	10. Chapter 10

**TEN**

She convinces him to let her jump around for a good hour or more, Jonas following after her the entire time, being that 'supervisor' she'd started calling him, even if he mostly stays on the ground. Alex is having an absolute field day with it— figuring out different paths, berating him to time her with his phone to see how quickly she can run them, exuberant despite the fact that she probably shouldn't be doing any of this. No one knows they're here. If something happens to her, the responsibility would be on his shoulders. Maybe that's why he's so worried?

A part of her - not a guilty part, but a hesitant one - wants to think it's something else. Something closer. The same kind of thing that might have made him hug her for just a bit too long. But that is, in his own words, pure speculation (or, at least, "conjecture"). It doesn't stop her chest from tugging when she spots him smiling every so often, or rolling his eyes at some stupid quip she makes. Alex doesn't quite understand why that hurts.

At some point during her zipping through buildings and random wooden panels, her energy runs thin, and eventually both she and Jonas quietly make their way back to his truck.

.

She's kind of exhausting. Running on sheer manic energy most of the time, or so it seems, and despite his better judgment Jonas had tried to keep up until he just gave in, spotting her instead. Alex was all about winding between supports and vaulting stacks of plywood, and he ended up with hands hooked over a beam in a supporting wall, swinging occasionally, doing a pull-up or two, but mostly just watching. He can climb fine, but definitely isn't one to go jumping head first over anything. Into anything. Which is apparently just how Alex approaches life.

They have thoroughly explored every nook and cranny of Unfinished House No. 2 by the time she's tired enough to stop. He's had another cigarette (two in one day - that hasn't happened in a while). Not really that bad, smoking, in comparison to, say, _trespassing. _Jonas blames it on Miss Blue Curaçao— she's a bad influence. But he's a pretty shit one himself, to be fair. He's the one who brought her out here to begin with.

"Your-" _parents_\- wait, no, just, "-mom must be getting worried." It's not quite sunset yet, but the sky is a deep greyish blue as the sun is hidden behind trees. His physics section ends in five minutes, and then he'd have the usual 45 minute drive home in rush hour traffic. So, still some time to kill before he can head home and make it believable. His car is sitting open, but no one else has shown up - besides which, it's not like a couple beat up backpacks in an old pickup are really prime targets. "Want me to drive you home?"

.

Alex nearly snorts. Sure, her mom gets worried about her, but… no, she shouldn't get so cynical about this right off the bat. So instead she bumps her shoulder into Jonas's arm. "Nah. My mom's a doctor, and she works real late hours. Half the time I only ever see her in the mornings. If she were home and I wasn't, she'd have called by now." That part was true. Her mom is always worried about where she is, which is both a blessing and a curse. It hasn't always been that way. She doesn't say that either.

So she walks with Jonas to his truck, but instead of getting into the passenger side again, grabs her backpack from where she'd thrown it underneath the seat and starts for the truck bed. It's simple enough to climb into it after moving her bag to the side, settling against the back of the truck and starting to work her way through to find her homework. Alex's mom has a thing for getting on her about schoolwork now, so she's just learned to do it at the last minute. As long as she's passing.

After pulling out a piece of english she needs to finish (since she'd passed out) and setting up her phone flashlight to shine on the assignment, Alex settles completely, pencil scratching quietly along paper. Kind of annoying to hold everything down when the breeze rolls through, but being outside feels better than being cooped up in her house for the fifteenth time ever. It feels like she's known that house too well. Sure, it's hers, but it doesn't quite feel like… home. Home is people, home is the things you love all in one place. Which is why she's always running toward them.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Alex gets another one of those little tics. _Home is Jonas. _

.

He's standing by the driver's side, expecting her to climb in, and instead she's gone 'round the back. Jonas isn't even surprised at this point, just resigned to follow. So he steps around to figure out just what she's intending, and once he gets it, he sighs. Right. Okay, well, apparently it's study hall now. Fair enough; he _did _miss class.

Pulling his own backpack from the front seat, he strolls to the truck bed and tosses it in before stepping up and over himself. A couple steps and he takes a knee next to the toolbox installed in the back, keys jangling as he pops it open and pushes around the mess of supplies inside until he finds the emergency light. The plastic casing is cracked, but he flicks the little knob at the base and it turns on, so it still works.

"I usually keep a blanket it here for the fall, but I haven't done the switch over yet," he explains, pulling out an old sweatshirt (now a little more grease-stained then when it went in). "Looks like this is the best I've got for padding at the moment. If you want it." He hasn't chilled in the back of Bily for a while. Now he sets the camp light down and sinks into a corner before pulling out his phone. Reception is shit from his carrier. "Any chance I can co-opt your data? Mine's being a bitch and I need to check blackboard. _Someone _made me miss class." Jonas raises a brow with the teasing accusation.

.

She winces a bit, but it's good-natured, as she pulls out her phone and unlocks it to hand it over. No new texts from her mom, but Ren has been blowing up her messages for 'ditching him' and being a 'wild child like she always is.' So basically nothing new. "Sorry. It's not like I meant to fall asleep, suddenly get a nightmare, freak out because it looked like you were possessed, run around old houses for a while and then start doing homework."

Alex trades the phone for the sweatshirt. She props herself up onto her knees before sitting on it, kicking out her legs again to make a proper kind of desk-thing so that her pencil won't rip through paper. It's relatively nice out, and the pickup isn't really a terrible place to sit, even if they aren't technically supposed to be here. Jonas was the one that had pulled up in the first place, so she just stays quiet about it. It'd been fun to use the scaffolding like they were some monkey bars, though. She does her best not to think about the implications her mind is trying to shove at her, and focuses more on the assignment, almost glaring at it even though she understands the questions.

.

Possessed? "Mmmhm." He's jokingly skeptical, but the whole possession thing is an unexpected addition. There's another comment on the tip of his tongue when he pauses. Wait. The red eyes bit… that kind of possession? The quip eludes him as he watches her for a second, quietly, then turns his attention back to her cell. The password he sets up for the hotspot is - of course - MissBlueC. He hands her phone back over and returns to his own.

Blah blah, school stuff, a powerpoint he's not gonna try to read on his tiny screen… The homework doesn't look too bad either, compared to the last one. And if he thinks he can concentrate with Alex across from him… Yeah, maybe not.

But staring probably isn't a good idea, either.

Instead, he shifts a bit, angling a little more toward her so he can kick his feet up on a wheel well as he stuffs his backpack under his head for a pillow and slides down onto his back. Too early for stars, but at least there's no sun in his eyes.

.

This isn't something she'd ever been able to do with Michael around. "Oh, shut up, Jonas. You're the one who even let me go to sleep. Sure, I needed it because I've been avoiding it like the plague ever since I started seeing people dying. And… some weird other things, but that's just kind of life now." It reminds her of when she used to get panic attacks going anywhere near water. Even the idea of taking a shower would make Alex start screaming. Kind of similar, except now she sees her friends - and Clarissa, and Jonas - all dying. Which, ironically, isn't new to her. Death will never be new to her again.

.

Jonas lets out a huff of bitter laughter at her assessment of her situation, but stays quiet. Maybe it's all the church he's been subjected to over the years (less once his mom was diagnosed, 'cause he couldn't stand the attention and pity, and even less once she was in the hospital and couldn't drag him along with her), but he's got that guilt dripping slowly to puddle in his stomach. That she should have it so bad when he's stayed mostly unaffected.

Apart from the slightly terrifying amnesia bit, that is. That was pretty bad.

Still, he has that instinct to comfort and protect, and it's one he's realizing he's going to have to deny a lot around her, 'cause…

He swallows, trying to ignore her movement out of the corner of his eye, the little sweep of blue hair as she works. Yikes. It shouldn't be going so fast. He shouldn't feel so… weirdly attached. But he just kinda _is. _And it's not like— well, not to compare her - not to say she _should _be compared - but it's not like girlfriends he's had. It's not that initial attraction and posturing and trying to figure out if he's doing it right. It's like… deeper.

Christ, this is… He lets out a long breath, and stares at the sky, watching it gradually turn to twilight.

.

It's easy enough getting through her english work. It's always been one of her better subjects. Then history, then math, and that's where she gives up. Math was a terrible invention by the devil that makes absolutely no sense at all. So Alex stuffs her papers back into her bag, bundles the sweatshirt he's given her into a ball to use as a bit of a pillow, and curls up on the other side of the toolbox to look over the sky. No stars. It feels like she should be used to a sky without stars, for some reason, but that… shouldn't be right. Unless she's been seeing things all over again, which is also an option.

She shuffles a little closer to Jonas, tense all over again.

.

The sound of her scratching on paper, flipping pages, gradually lulls him enough to close his eyes, focusing on the smell of the air around them, the soft breeze that's audible in the trees nearby but doesn't quite reach his head down below the walls of the truck bed. If he focuses he can maybe feel the slightest change in the air around his feet, but that's the most he's got.

Jonas tucks his hands behind his head with something akin to a sigh, about ready to take a nap after the combined exercise of chasing after Alex and worrying over her. Both strenuous activity, even if the idea does make his lips twitch.

**_Student student student. _**

He needs to remember that.

But she can't be more than, what… a year? Year and half younger?

_College students shouldn't date highschoolers. _

_Not that you're dating. _

_Not that she wants to date. _

_Stop thinking about her like that. _

No, he can think of her like… Like a charge. Like he's… babysitting. Keeping her from dying, helping her take care of herself, since she obviously isn't super adept at the simple things like _sleep. _So he's stepping in, in a kind of guardian role. And guardians don't think of their charges… physically. Nope. So he won't.

He shifts a bit, getting more comfortable, secure in his resolution.

.

When he doesn't respond to her, Alex gets kind of worried. It's a paranoia kind, where she knows he's fine, and that it's stupid to even think about freaking out over it, but it's still there. Her head tips up enough to look over him. Cut jaw, broad shoulders, no green jacket. The almost-perfect/not-quite-perfect-dream-version of him. Her eyes linger on his lips just a little too long. _Aah _. Okay. That's what that weird— the weird thing was. The feeling. She's tempted to ask if he's asleep, or alive, or if he's going to respond with anything other than that cut off laughter, but she doesn't. Instead she takes off Michael's jacket for a minute, slides the sweatshirt on over her own tee (because admittedly, it's getting kind of cold, and this is fluffy), puts the bright red thing back on, and then settles herself.

…With her head on Jonas's chest, and the rest of her tucked up against his side.

It's impulsive, it's completely uncalled for, and it's Alex. If he is asleep, that means he can't argue. Free real estate to keep the nightmares at bay. That's still a running theory in her head - that he can push them back if she's in his proximity - but it works. When she was in the truck, it had worked. Which means it could work now. Sure, it's half an excuse to cuddle him…

Fuck it. She's doing it already, no point in stopping now. He's still comfortable.

Kind of a weird thought, but also a true thought. The fact that Jonas is comfortable. And his chest rumbles a bit when he breathes.

.

Jonas is counting his breaths. He has to, to pass off that he's still asleep because he's 90% sure that if he were noticeably awake she wouldn't be doing this right now. Despite his dry mouth, he can't bring himself to swallow, too worried it will break the illusion.

There's a reason he's doing this, right? A reason that isn't just… (His heart is going too fast, even with his attempts to control his breathing.) That isn't just… wanting her close to him? There has to be another reason.

Sleep. Right, sleep. She needs sleep, and if this is what helps…

His instinct is to pull her closer, get an arm around her, but he's too cautious. Still, he feels the impulse go through him, making his fingers twitch for a fraction of a second, and it's only thanks to the counting in his head that he keeps breathing, because he's so worried she's going to pull away.

He's too aware of her. The padding of her jacket against his side, the heat of her breath gradually soaking through his clothes. How she's cuddled up beside him, and how much he wants to curl towards her as well.

The counting is working, though. Calming him down, even as thoughts he shouldn't be having are playing on the backs of his eyelids. He just wants… His parents are hopeless romantics, and he's been taken in by them. Visions of chin tilts and soft kisses replace the beach and the bonfire. He counts his breath in, counts it out again, and promptly dismisses the thought. Now is not the time. She is not the girl. They barely know each other.

It's several more rounds of in and out breaths, but gradually, somehow, he's actually fading into some sort of mental limbo— that stage of sleep where the mind starts conjuring not-quite dreams. It feels so much later than it is, and in his half-conscious state he dreams of looking up into a starry night. And looking down, onto a bonfire. Into a cave. Down more, a ladder into darkness. They aren't frightening dreams, though. Just… disconnected, drifting images. He's lost count on his breaths.

.

It takes longer than she likes to fall asleep. But Jonas helps. Alex figures he has to be asleep, too, since he isn't moving or talking and hasn't given any kind of indication that he doesn't want this to be happening. So, still free game. His chest still rumbles, but she can hear his heartbeat along with it, and that might be the most calming thing about it. A reassurance that she's around something alive. Someone alive. Someone warm, and caring, and wow she needs to just… slow down for a second.

Even if all of it's right. Even if she tucks herself as close as she can get, throws a leg over his own, and just lays there. For someone so loud and bombastic when awake, Alex is oddly quiet as she sleeps, breath even and fanning over fabric as she drifts in unconsciousness. The dreams don't even come. It's just a blissful, black void of nothing, something that hasn't happened to her in years.

The bed of the truck is kind of uncomfortable, but she's slept in worse places. In swivel chairs, on roofs, hell even on the beach of Edwards Island at some points. But Jonas being here is something that makes it better. Because they're both warm, and the fabric of his shirt is soft— he's soft. Not just the fabric. So eventually, Alex's breathing matches with his own paced version: asleep. Calm.


	11. Chapter 11

**ELEVEN**

Jonas is a bit disoriented when he wakes. Was he out for five minutes or five hours? He might be able to guess if he were staring at the sky, but he isn't anymore. Instead his cheek is pressing against his makeshift pillow, chin lolling toward the floor, pointing his gaze straight at—

Shit. So much for all the talk of not getting too close. She's practically in his arms at this point. Not quite, but close. Basically. Well, one of them. The other is sprawled out across the truck above her tucked head. But one is thrown over her, holding her against his chest. At least he hasn't fully curled around her, legs safely on his side of the truck, even if she's got one of his wrapped up with hers.

God, it's like— like the universe conspiring against him. Or for him, in a weird way that makes him feel guilty on the regular.

He takes in a breath to sigh, and immediately regrets it 'cause he's inundated with the sense of Other and she actually smells really nice. Nothing flowery, no fancy headache-inducing perfume, just sort of… clean? It's nice, whatever it is.

Which is bad. Or— not bad for _her_, just bad for him and his resolve, 'cause he was awfully sure of himself before he fell asleep and now his will is kind of a mess.

Jonas swallows hard, tries to distract himself from the girl cuddled up against him by rolling his head to look back up at the sky. It's dark.

Oh _shit_, it's dark.

He's not gonna risk jostling Alex and waking her up (because- well, she _does _need the sleep), but his outstretched arm manages to catch her discarded phone and click the screen on to catch the time.

7:31.

Whoops. Can't pass that for just bad traffic. He'll have run errands or something, or come up with some other lie.

His stomach growls.

Or dinner.

.

Alex doesn't bother lifting her head at first, because that's the most solid sleep she's gotten in a few days, and she's going to savor that if at all possible. Though once she's convinced herself that she has to get up at _some _point, she adjusts herself enough to push up onto her forearms. And then she's staring right at Jonas. Fuck. Okay, yeah, fuck.

From how it looked, he'd at least half wrapped himself around her in turn, which is both a problem and really _really _not a problem at the same time. Because if he'd done that in his sleep, then she's freaking out about nothing. But if he'd done that while he was awake… _Aaah, _no, stop. That's the second time within a few hours she's let her mind get away from her. He probably isn't even interested.

That doesn't stop Alex from staying where she is, instead reaching over to pluck her phone out of Jonas's hands and swipe it open to look at her messages. A few missed calls from Ren, a reminder from Nona to finish up a project, and her mom warning her that she won't be home until early in the morning. So nothing new.

"Looks like you knocked yourself out for a couple hours too." She grins that crooked grin of hers, nudging him. "Was I that hard to keep up with?"

.

She stirs, and he raises his head a little, mouth pulling into a half-amused grimace as the arm on his chest elbows him in the gut gently as she sits up, his own arm unwrapping and falling to his side. Their eyes meet for all of a second before they both look away, both look to Alex's phone as she takes it from him.

Jonas wonders if the heat on his neck is just going to be a constant reaction to her. Like an allergy._ An Alex-gy. _Oh god, he must still be half asleep.

He scrubs at his face for a second, taking in a deep breath, almost a yawn— and then he _is _yawning, his whole body stretching and bending, a slight smirk catching on his lips as his back arches enough to unbalance her. "You're a menace. Never should've brought you here."

Now that he's let go of her he can grab for his own phone wedged into his back pocket, swiping it open. A single message from his mom, asking him to pick up milk on the way home if he's out. Simple enough.

.

She yips a bit at being shoved off to the side, taking a hold of Jonas's torso again while letting out a strangled kind of laugh.

"Aw, c'mon! I can't be that bad, can I?" Alex glances over him again, just for the sake of getting a better grip. He's built well enough. Still too tall (her type), still lean muscled (also her type), and still a huge teddy bear (_really _her type, Jesus, what is she doing?). That wasn't a thought she would've associated with him before. Too late now.

.

Jonas is just going to ignore the way she grabs onto him - try to ignore, anyway, while being grateful that their light is all from the shitty camp light throwing shadows around them, illuminating her edges in sharp relief. He can blame the dark for the way his pupils dilate, the halo surrounding her. Her laugh is infectious, though. He's grinning crookedly right back at her. "The worst. And I've only known you for like a week."

.

Alex has to drag herself up and over on top of him to reach her backpack and slide her phone back into the front pocket. "I mean, sure, maybe I can be. People here seem to think I'm the problem child of the town anyways, so."

No getting out of this for Jonas. He's attached now, and she's not one to let go of things. Especially if they just so happen to be a well-cut figure. She really needs to stop. Then again, does she want to? Nope. Not really.

.

An eyebrow cocks as she once more voluntarily puts herself awfully close to him. _On top _of him. He puts his hands on her waist more to steady her than anything else, though they do help him shift her away once she's gotten what she needs, even if his touch holds maybe a second longer than is strictly necessary. He can't tell if it's wishful thinking or if she really is sending mixed messages.

Based on everything she's done so far, he's willfully misinterpreting her actions. So, even if his gaze holds on once he lets go, he eventually looks away, as casually as he can manage.

He's already forgotten what she said. He was a little distracted.

"Should I be insulted that you're constantly falling asleep in my presence?" The thought occurs to him, and he can't stop himself before it's already said, with dry humor: "Really Alex, I feel like you're just trying to sleep with me." But he's cracked a grin, and is practically snickering.

.

Being offended was probably the opposite effect than how she'd think of it, but he isn't entirely wrong, in a sense. Her theory had panned out alright. So Alex winces slightly, kicks a foot up beside Jonas's, and starts her own brand of punchy rambling.

"Kind of? But not— not like that." _Not yet. _

.

"Once again; not sure if I should be complimented or insulted," Jonas murmurs wryly, though her initial _kind of _had shot his eyebrows straight up to his hairline.

.

"I have a running theory. Haven't tested it with other people, because I've mostly been avoiding sleep at all costs, but it works in this scenario. Sleeping close by you gets rid of the nightmares, and the dreams. Which just adds to the weirdness, really, but hey. Whatever works."

Whatever keeps Alex from keeling over in the middle of class again. That was more than enough attention for one lifetime, and she'd already halfway dealt with it, during some… choice moments in her very stupid career.

.

His fingers are drumming a haphazard pattern against his stomach as he looks at the sky, considering her words. Everything about the dreams, the— the _visions_, or whatever they are… it's just confusing. The smile fades to something more contemplative, turning the theory over in his mind.

There's an apology on his tongue, but he doesn't quite voice it. It's not like it'll do any good. He doesn't know any more about whatever the fuck this thing is than she does. _Sorry you're haunted by weird nightmares _just doesn't feel particularly satisfying. Instead he lets out a short, "Hm." Whatever works.

Jonas's head rolls sideways to look at her, brows pulled together in consideration. It's simple to think to offer some kind of… arrangement. But to contemplate the _how _is where it gets confusing. What would he even be offering? All he can think is some kind of weird nap/study date, but then the _date _word is getting in the way, and it's such a weird concept to present, and an awkward situation to propose, and… this is just kind of stupid, isn't it?

There's a beat of silence before he finally speaks. "Well." The word hangs in the air for a moment. At last, he lets out a low groan as he pulls himself into a seated position. "I'm about an hour late back from my class, and starving."

.

"Oh, shit, right." She'd nearly forgotten. Through this very hazardous series of butterfly effects, he's both missed his class, and missed his deadline for making things believable that he's actually been in said class. Which is mostly her fault. "Sorry for that."

Alex stretches herself out enough to crack her back, glancing over the emptied out housing development one last time before starting to climb out of the truck. But not before she fixes Jonas's hair to something at least a little bit more presentable.

.

Jonas is about to shrug it off, say 'eh, what can ya do,' but his attention is unwillingly pulled by that _noise _she makes - that breathy sound of exertion. Or maybe it's that combined with the way her body bows as she stretches. God, he needs a stern talking to.

She must not have noticed his surreptitious glance, or at least she makes no comment on it as she leans over his seated form to smooth his hair down. He finds himself watching her bemusedly, tempted to ask what she thinks she's doing, but biting his tongue because— well, it feels really nice, for all its brevity. Hands swat at hers but she's already pulling away, so it doesn't make much difference. "Thanks _mom_, I'm good."

.

Alex grabs her backpack to sling into the passenger seat again. She can walk home if he needs her to, but he'd talked about getting food… He isn't the only hungry person in the area at the moment. It had been another one of those mornings where Alex hadn't gotten out on time, and so she didn't have her usual lunch, or wallet to get another one.

Huh. Maybe that was another reason for her fainting spell? It's not like she's used to taking care of herself. Usually, she just gets yelled at by her mom to go and eat something. Before the whole… Before, Michael did it. Her family had kept her somewhat on the straight and narrow. Now, there isn't a whole lot of family left.

.

Jonas takes a moment to stash the emergency light back in the toolbox, locking it back up, before grabbing his own bag and climbing out to join her in the cab. It's not too dark, just past sunset, but he switches on the headlights anyway as the truck rumbles to life. "So is the grocery store on Ford the closest? I can drop you home before I go."

.

Alex starts to nod, and then pauses just a minute. "No, I think there's another one somewhere on Sedgefield, but I'm not too sure. I know there's a diner around there though. Got great biscuits."

God, biscuits would be good right now. So would bacon. Really any food at all, seeing as she hasn't eaten anything since breakfast. A really light breakfast. What had it been, toast and strawberries? Something fast as she'd headed out the door. But the offer she has in mind is extended tentatively to Jonas, like he's going to smack her hand away from the last cookie. "Maybe we could… go sometime? I mean, you said you needed to eat, and I basically haven't eaten, so…?"

That might be too much, laying it on too thick. Jesus she's bad at this. Last time she'd even thought of having a relationship was in middle school, and that hadn't gone anywhere, ever. Mostly because Alex never had the guts to ask. "Ah, nevermind, you're probably sick of me huh?"

.

Jonas can't help the small laugh at her comment, shooting Alex an incredulous look. Diner biscuits, huh? He's done graveyard shift trips to McDonald's before, and the 10:55 last minute stop at Burgerville, but hasn't seen a honest-to-God _diner _since the old summer trips to Missouri. They almost feel like a legend.

His eyes flick immediately back to the road at her meandering invitation, headlights sweeping around the cul-de-sac as he turns them around. He's avoiding looking at her, hoping she doesn't notice the slight furrow of his brow, trying very hard not to overthink the offer. "So by some time you mean… now?" The intention had been for some sort of charmingly offhanded - maybe slightly teasing - aside. Instead it comes out as merely a clarification. He pushes aside the urge to stare, to analyze her intention, to study what exactly she means and what _what she means _means in the grander scheme of things, and instead cracks a joke. "Hey, if you're buying, I could get used to this arrangement. Sleep with me, then buy me dinner. A little backwards, but I guess I'm a cheap date." Not that this is a date. It's a joke. Ha. So funny.

.

"Hey, if you're willing to stop off at my house for like two minutes so I can grab my wallet off the counter? I'll buy. My treat, for forcing you to deal with my whole-" Alex waves her hands around a bit, grimacing, "-_freak out _thing earlier. And forcing you to cuddle with me, I guess. That seemed to be a perk, though."

She's only half joking when she knocks Jonas's shoulder with the back of her hand. It doesn't have to be right now, if he doesn't want to, but hey; he'd been the one to offer getting food in the first place. Only right that she should pay for it since he's had the will to deal with her this long.

.

"I mean, you were the one taking the risk. Should really be more worried about me accidentally crushing you, let's be real." Jonas isn't quite smirking, poking fun at something that isn't even an accurate point because she's not _that _short, but she was the one calling him _too fuckin' tall _earlier, and he's gonna harp on about it because it's something he can beat her out on with literally no effort on his part. "Tiny girl. Weensie kiddo." He reaches a hand over to pat her on the head with a malicious grin as they exit the development and get back on the road.

* * *

_Notes:_ _Sorry for the longer breaks between chapters lately (also this is kinda a short one, whoops), been busy with stuff. Hope you enjoyed this li'l bb. Idiots in mutual pining; my favorite of all the tropes. ^^_


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